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An expensive tackle.... Professional and semi-professional rugby clubs whose players deliberately foul opponents will be on the receiving end of damages claims by their victims after a landmark court ruling. Semi-professional Redruth RFC has been left with a bill for almost £40,000 after the court of appeal ruled it fully liable to compensate a Halifax RFC prop forward (Mr Gravil) who received a devastating punch in the face during a league match in October 2005. The Court said Mr Carroll had admitted before the RFU that he "deliberately assaulted" Mr Gravil and there was no doubt that the Redruth player was guilty of an "actionable trespass to the person". Ruling it was "fair, just and reasonable" that Redruth RFC should pay, the Master of the Rolls, Sir Anthony Clarke, said it was well known that punch ups and other foul play during rugby matches are a common, "though undesirable", part of the modern game. Mr Gravil suffered a fractured eye socket which put him out of the game for six months when Richard Carroll punched him in the face. Mr Carroll was given a yellow card by the referee but, after Halifax cited him, the Rugby Football Union, ruled that, although there had been some provocation, it had not been directed at him, and that he should have been given a red card and sent off. He was suspended for eight weeks. Ruling Redruth RFC directly liable to compensate Mr Grevil, the judge said it was simply irrelevant that both players were only semi-professional and had other, full time, jobs. He said there was "a very close connection" between the punch and Mr Carroll's employment with his club and, although the whistle was blown before Mr Carroll unleashed his punch, a DVD of the violent incident showed it was "part of the game". "The punch amounted...to a failure to perform his duty. His employment as a second row forward did not merely give Mr Carroll the opportunity to punch Mr Gravil, it was an act doe in the course of that employment". In words of stern warning to rugby players and their clubs, the judge added: "It is now recognised that it is possible to be very seriously injured as a result of foul play during a rugby match.
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