Coach banned 6 months over betting

London - A former coach of English club Leicester Tigers, Phil Blake, has been banned for six months for betting on matches involving his own team, in what has been described as the first case of its kind in rugby.

Blake was found guilty of breaching anti-corruption laws by betting on Leicester matches last season, firstly in the European Champions Cup against Toulon in December 2014 and then an English league match against Newcastle in March.

The Rugby Football Union said on Thursday a disciplinary panel also fined Blake £669 - the profit he made on the bets.

The chair of the panel, Christopher Quinlan, said: "This is the first such case that we know of in rugby union."

An appeal by Blake against the length of the sanction was dismissed.