ALL IRELAND LEAGUE: St Mary's second row Gareth Logan hasbeen suspended by his club for six months following a punching incident inlast Saturday's All-Ireland League match against Dungannon.
Logan admitted striking Dungannon back row forward Michael Haslett late in the first half of the match. The blow broke Haslett's jaw in two places.
The match generally was physical but clean, with only one yellow card shown, to Dungannon's Ryan Constable in the second period.
Haslett, a son of Irish under-21 manager Davy and a former Irish under-21 player himself, will, according to medical opinion, be out of rugby for between six to eight months.
St Mary's formed a disciplinary sub-committee, chaired by their director of rugby, Brendan Spring, to investigate the incident and viewed a video of the match. As a result, it reconvened on Wednesday for a hearing at which Logan was asked to attend. The player was subsequently found guilty by the club of foul play.
Logan (22), a student, has an exemplary disciplinary record and the incident was seen by the club to have been totally out of character.
"Although I did strike Michael, no damage was intended and I am appalled at the extent of his injury," he said in a statement issued by the club yesterday.
Logan has apologised to the injured player, to the president of Dungannon, former Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP Ken Maginnis, and to the members of his club.
Dungannon, however, are obliged to follow through with the official citation despite St Mary's action, and a hearing with an IRFU disciplinary committee is expected soon. No date has been agreed.
It was pointed out by Dungannon officials that St Mary's were exemplary in the way they dealt with the incident. It is the St Mary's video of the match that will be used as evidence at the IRFU hearing. The Dublin club are also said to have provided the video to Dungannon by the Monday evening following the Saturday match.
"St Mary's have been exceptional. You could not fault the club in any way whatsoever in the way they dealt with this," said a Dungannon official.
"But the citation was served today (Thursday) and that process is now in train with the IRFU."
