A cardinal rule in any sport is that you can’t touch the ref. That also includes lifting the ref into the air and using them as a prop while you’re celebrating.
This rugby player got a red card for using the ref as a celebration prop
Lifted the dude up like he was Simba ...
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Josaia Raisuqe, a player for French D2 side Nevers, was overcome with joy after the ref made the call and blew the whistle to end the game, giving Nevers the win. Raisuqe thought it was a joke, smiling throughout the incident, but others in the sport aren’t laughing.
Raisuqe has been informed that he could face an extended suspension for putting his hands on the ref, even though he was simply using the official to celebrate. His coach, Xavier Pemeja, was furious with the player’s actions, telling Canal+:
“It’s intolerable. He’ll be punished by the league’s disciplinary committee. I’ll deal with him. I can’t accept it. What happened at the end there it’s going to be very bad.”
This isn’t Raisuqe’s first run-in with disciplinary boards. In 2016 he was suspended 15 weeks for eye gouging another player, which is decidedly more severe than lifting a ref in the air — but it still doesn’t make an adult look like a child by hoisting them into the air okay.
Still, this is one of the weirdest, funniest red cards you’ll ever see, in any sport.
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