Rugby Union: England’s Delon Armitage Suspended Following Arrest

The RFU have suspended Delon Armitage from the England Saxons Elite Player Squad following the player’s arrest by Devon & Cornwall Police in the early hours of Sunday January 29th 2012.

The full back, who plays his club rugby for London Irish, had been released from England Saxons on Saturday evening following a match with Irish reserve outfit, the o2 Ireland Wolfhounds on 28th January 2012. Later that night the player was arrested following an altercation in a Torquay nightclub.

England’s head coach, Stuart Lancaster said:

“We take issues surrounding the behaviour of England players very seriously and as such have decided to suspend Delon from the Saxons EPS pending the result of the police inquiry. We will then consider if further action is appropriate under the EPS Code of Conduct.

“High standards of behaviour are required from England players on and off the field, and they also need to understand that they should not put themselves in a potentially vulnerable position or environment.”

London Irish also issued a statement, which read:

“London Irish is extremely disappointed to hear about the incident involving Delon whilst on an England Saxons release period and takes these matters extremely seriously. We fully understand the RFU stance on this matter and will convene our own internal investigation to procure a full understanding of the matter in question, the outcome of which will determine any further action. Player conduct is a direct representation of the club and, therefore, inappropriate conduct will be strongly acted upon.”

England begin their 2012 RBS 6 Nations campaign with a sell-out Calcutta Cup match at Scotland’s Murrayfield stadium in Edinburgh on Saturday.

Click here for the full RBS 6 Nations 2012 Fixture List.


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