Steve Diamond, the director of rugby at Newcastle Falcons, has received a six-match suspension that effectively ends his season, following a disciplinary hearing that found him guilty of verbally abusing match officials. The incident occurred after Newcastle’s narrow 17-15 defeat to Exeter Chiefs on 29 March, a result that added to the pressure on two clubs fighting to avoid the foot of the Premiership table.
In the closing moments of the match, Exeter scored a late try through Greg Fisilau, but controversy erupted over an earlier incident in the buildup. Exeter centre Tamati Tua appeared to elbow Newcastle wing Alex Hearle in the head with enough force to dislodge Hearle’s mouthguard. Hearle has not featured since that game. The incident was not reviewed by the officials, which infuriated Diamond.
As the match officials walked through the tunnel shortly after the game, Diamond directed a profane comment at them, saying, “I hope you cunts can sleep tonight.” He later approached the television match official, David Rose, during the post-match meal and told him twice: “You need to retire.”
In his defense, Diamond admitted to using “industrial language,” describing his behavior as sarcastic and expressing frustration at himself. He said he viewed the exchange as a private conversation and claimed to share a “kinship” with the officials involved. He later sent apology emails to both David Rose and referee Adam Leal, acknowledging his wrongdoing.
Despite the apologies, the disciplinary panel deemed both comments to be verbal abuse of match officials. Diamond accepted the ruling, stating that he does not blame anyone but himself, although he attempted to provide context by highlighting the financial struggles of the Premiership’s bottom two teams.
The Rugby Football Union has implemented stricter sanctions across all levels of the game due to increasing concerns about abuse toward referees. Surveys have shown that nearly 50% of match officials have reported experiencing abuse in recent seasons, prompting the governing body to take a tougher stance.
In this case, the RFU’s head of professional game officials later confirmed that the incident involving Tua and Hearle should have resulted in a penalty for Newcastle, lending some weight to Diamond’s grievance. However, the panel emphasized that frustrations over officiating do not justify abusive behavior.
Diamond also received support from a senior figure within the Northumberland Rugby Union Referees’ Society, who provided a character reference. Earlier in March, Diamond had spoken at an event organized by the society, where he praised the efforts of community-level referees.
Following the suspension, Diamond voiced his opinion that while he understood the need for regulation and accepted he was in the wrong, the incident also highlighted a lack of accountability in officiating. He argued that while coaches and players are held to account for their actions, officials appear to be shielded from criticism.
The suspension leaves Newcastle without their director of rugby for the remainder of the season, a major blow as the club fights to maintain its Premiership status.
