sport news Billy Vunipola escapes ban and fine from RFU after England and Saracens star ... trends now

sport news Billy Vunipola escapes ban and fine from RFU after England and Saracens star ... trends now

Billy Vunipola has been issued with a formal warning but not banned or fined by the Rugby Football Union after being tasered and arrested in Majorca.

The Saracens and England No 8 assaulted an officer while on a club bonding trip in the Balearics last month but wasn’t punished by his club.

Vunipola faced an ‘express’ trial in court where he was fined €240 (£205) and handed a suspended four-month prison sentence.

After Saracens completed an internal investigation into what went on, the RFU reviewed the information provided by the Gallagher Premiership side.

On Thursday, English rugby’s governing body confirmed they would also not throw the book at the 31-year-old.

Billy Vunipola has escaped receiving either a ban or a fine from the Rugby Football Union

Billy Vunipola has escaped receiving either a ban or a fine from the Rugby Football Union

The Saracens star was spending the evening with team-mates in a bar called Epic in Palma

The Saracens star was spending the evening with team-mates in a bar called Epic in Palma

Vunipola was tasered twice at 4.30am after taking off his shirt and bothering other customers

Vunipola was tasered twice at 4.30am after taking off his shirt and bothering other customers

‘The RFU has reviewed the information Saracens provided following its investigation into the incident involving Billy Vunipola in Mallorca on 27 April, which resulted in the club issuing him with a formal warning,’ they said in a statement.

‘We have also considered the apologies Billy has provided, his clear contrition and the circumstances around the incident and have concluded the most appropriate course of action is to issue a formal warning under RFU Regulation 19.6.13. This warning will sit on his record for five years and may be relied upon in future disciplinary proceedings.

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Billy Vunipola reveals what REALLY happened when he was Tasered twice by an army of Spanish police: 'I don't know when to stop, I can't just have two beers'

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‘It has been made clear to Billy that as a senior and respected player, such actions risk bringing the game as a whole into disrepute. In particular, such actions clearly go against the core values of rugby which collectively the sport works hard to promote.’

Vunipola is now free to entirely focus on the end of the Premiership season with Mark McCall’s Saracens who are looking to defend their league title.

Vunipola explained his remorse at what happened in Majorca in an exclusive interview with MailSport. He had previously been sober for two years prior to the incident.

‘It’s once during the season and once in the off-season,’ said Vunipola of Saracens’ team bonding trips abroad which have previously been crucial to the team’s success.

‘The whole reason behind the trips is to get closer as a group and find out things about each other that you won’t necessarily share freely in the changing-rooms.

‘Drink helps to release inhibitions and help people open up more. I’ve been on a

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