Tuqiri banned for boozing

Australian winger Lote Tuqiri has been suspended by the ARU for a breach of “team standards”.

Tuqiri failed to wake up for training at Coogee yesterday two days after Australia beat the All Blacks in Melbourne. He missed a team medical appointment and recovery session and was later breath-tested and found to have an alcohol reading above “team limits”.

The Australian team disciplinary committee proposed suspending the errant player for one game and imposing a A$20,000 fine. However, Australian Rugby Union CEO John O’Neill intervened to impose a harsher sentence of a two match suspension and a A$20,000 fine.

He was already serving a suspended sentence, following an incident in Cape Town two years ago involving Wallaby teammates Wendell Sailor (currently suspended for cocaine abuse) and Matt Henjak.

O’Neill stated that the findings from the 2005 incident were clear.

“The agreement that no off-field indiscretions were to occur for two years has been broken and there is no alternative but to impose a two match suspension, beginning with this Saturday’s Test against South Africa at Telstra Stadium in Sydney.

“As his club team West Harbour are not taking part in the Shute Shield finals series, the second match to be served as part of the suspension will be the return Bledisloe Cup match against the All Blacks in Auckland on July 21.”

Tuqiri was to have played for the Wallabies against the Springboks in Sydney on Saturday night, but will now miss the remainder of the Tri Nations and won’t play for the national side until the World Cup later this year.