Independent Disciplinary Update: Tiennan Costley Decision

A yellow card was issued to Tiennan Costley of the KOBELCO KOBE STEELERS at the match between URAYASU D-Rocks and KOBELCO KOBE STEELERS held on 12 April 2025. This was the third yellow card accumulated by Costley in the season.

This is to inform that in accordance with Article 34 (Judicial and Citing) of the JAPAN RUGBY LEAGUE ONE ‘Official Match Guidelines 2024-25’ and the Japan Rugby Football Union ‘Regulation of Sanctions for Foul Play’, the Judicial Officer conducted a hearing with the player and decided to apply the following sanctions.

■Regulation 17 (DISCIPLINE - FOUL PLAY): Details of the Incident

Player: Tiennan Costley

Team:KOBELCO KOBE STEELERS

Date of Incident: 12 April 2025

Nature of Offence: 

YC① Law 9.13－A player must not tackle an opponent early, late or dangerously. Dangerous tackling includes, but is not limited to, tackling or attempting to tackle an opponent above the line of the shoulders even if the tackle starts below the line of the shoulders. 

 YC② Law 9.7(a) －A player must not; Intentionally infringe any law of the game. 

 YC③ Law 9.13－A player must not tackle an opponent early, late or dangerously. Dangerous tackling includes, but is not limited to, tackling or attempting to tackle an opponent above the line of the shoulders even if the tackle starts below the line of the shoulders.

Sanctions: No additional Sanctions

* Cumulative yellow cards remain (YC① and ③)

* Appendix A. Player receives three Temporary Suspensions and/or Citing Commissioner Warnings in a Tournament/Series or five in a Sevens Series 

2. The Judicial Officer or Judicial Committee may, however, decide to apply no sanction in the following circumstances: 

(b)    exceptional circumstances exist which would warrant no sanction being imposed. This situation could arise when: 

(ii)     some of the Temporary Suspensions were awarded for technical offences (that is, not Foul Play) following a team warning by the referee or for what are characterised as so-called technical offences not involving a breach of Laws 9.11 to 9.28 inclusive. 

The Act and Elapsed time in match when incident occurred: 

　　　YC① The player made a high tackle to the victim player(No.10 of TOKYO SG) [vs TOKYO SG 8 Feb 15:00]

           YC② Intentionally infringe law of the game [vs TOKYO SG 23 Mar 09:00]

           YC③ The player made a high tackle to the victim player(No.10 of URAYASU DR) [vs URAYASU DR 12 April 10:00]

【References】
JAPAN RUGBY LEAGUE ONE “Official Match Guidelines 2024-25” (JP only)
https://league-one.s3.ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/file/menu/11248_6724a704ea4a2.pdf
Japan Rugby Football Union “Regulation of Sanctions for Foul Play” (JP only)
https://rugby-japan.s3.ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/file/html/169467_6560879583b90.pdf
World Rugby　Regulation17 DISCIPLINE - FOUL PLAY
https://www.world.rugby/organisation/governance/regulations/reg-17