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Rugby Union

White to play in Premiership final despite stamping ban

28/05/2008

Leicester Tigers prop Julian White has been cleared to play in the Guinness Premiership final against Wasps this Saturday.

This is despite the England international last night being found guilty of stamping against Gloucester in the club's domestic league semi-final victory on May 18th.

The offence usually carries a statutory punishment of a four- to six-week ban, meaning White would have missed this weekend's showpiece at Twickenham.

But a disciplinary panel of the Rugby Football Union, comprising of chairman Christopher Quinlan, Mike Curling and John Doubleday, deemed the club's own internal action as satisfactory.

White was fined £5,000 and immediately suspended for seven days after Tigers officials viewed video evidence of the incident.

And in a statement, the club explained: "Julian White immediately accepted his guilt of the offence. He has been remorseful and is very sorry that he has let down his team-mates."

White's ban meant he missed Leicester's match against a Classic All Blacks XV on May 25th.

The RFU also imposed a week's suspension but backdated it to May 21st - meaning he is eligible for selection from today onwards.