Kolelishvili banned for 14-weeks for ref push

Clermont-Ferrand - Clermont flanker Viktor Kolelishvili has been banned for 14 weeks for bizarrely pushing the referee during his club's European Champions Cup loss at Welsh club Ospreys last week.

Kolelishvili was sinbinned for shoving referee Wayne Barnes during the tie which the French club lost 21-13 allowing the Welsh region go top of Pool 2.

The 26-year-old appeared before an independent disciplinary hearing in Paris on Tuesday which judged that the Georgian player's action warranted a red card.

It was determined that the offence was at the low end of World Rugby's sanctions and selected 24 weeks as the appropriate entry point.

The sanction was reduced taking into account Kolelishvili's immediate apology to the referee, his subsequent remorse, guilty plea and good conduct at the hearing.

Kolelishvili can play again at the end of April.