Rugby Union

An Australian rugby union player was banned from the sport for life last night after a disciplinary hearing found him guilty of punching a referee. Umi Kaisa, who played for Belmore, punched the referee in the face during a match against the North Steyne club last Saturday. The Belmore club was suspended from the Sydney suburban competition for the rest of the season.

The flanker Pete Glanville was elected Gloucester's new captain by his team-mates at Kingsholm last night. The 25-year-old, who has played 104 first-team games for the club, succeeds Dave Sims, the England A forward.