Jack Nowell avoids ban and fined £10k for Twitter criticism of ref Karl Dickson; free to play for Exeter Chiefs in Premiership and Champions Cup

Jack Nowell has avoided a ban for criticising referee Karl Dickson on Twitter, with the RFU confirming he has been fined £10,000, and will be free to play for Exeter in the Premiership and their Champions Cup semi-final.

Nowell was charged with misconduct by the RFU for his tweet regarding referee Dickson's decision in Sunday's Leicester Tigers vs Exeter Premiership clash.

Dickson sent Exeter wing Olly Woodburn to the sin-bin and awarded Leicester a penalty try in a key second-half decision for a tackle made on Chris Ashton - a yellow card which resulted in red due to it being Woodburn's second of the contest.

Nowell, who was not involved on the day, tweeted: "I'm actually in shock, like shock shocked. What the hell is happening? That's one of the worst decisions I've ever seen. EVER".

The 30-year-old has since deleted the tweet.

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"On 19 April 2023 Jack Nowell appeared before an independent disciplinary panel charged with committing conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game with the tweet he posted during the match between Leicester Tigers and Exeter Chiefs on Sunday 16 April 2023. The panel was chaired by Matthew O'Grady joined by Martyn Wood and Guy Lovgreen," the RFU confirmed on Thursday.

"Mr Nowell accepted his conduct was prejudicial to the interests of the game and he was fined £10,000 and directed to undertake a referees' course. The panel directed the fine be paid to charity."

Panel chairman Matthew O'Grady remarked: "Debate about on-field decisions by players and officials is an inevitable part of rugby union and professional rugby players have the right to express themselves about the sport they play. However, they are not free from the consequences of such expression when it breaches their professional obligation not to act prejudicially to the interests of the game by disrespecting match officials, their decisions and their authority - not least when that expression contributes to a 'pile on' of public comment about a match official or match officials.

"Respect for match officials - even if we disagree with their decisions, indeed especially if we disagree with their decisions - is a core part of rugby union. It is not a value that we can turn on and off when we choose.

"Mr Nowell accepted his tweet, which was viewed many hundreds of thousands of times, was not fair comment and crossed the line of what is acceptable by a person with his considerable status in the game."

World Rugby also confirmed Dickson "correctly applied the Law during the Leicester Tigers vs Exeter Chiefs game which saw the penalty try and a yellow card awarded".

Law 13.4 states players cannot fall on or over players on the ground and tackle law 14.8 says arriving players at a tackle must come from the direction of their own goal line and stay on their feet.

Exeter next face Bristol in the Premiership on Saturday, before facing defending European Cup champions La Rochelle in France in the Champions Cup semi-finals on Sunday, April 30.