Rugby League suspends Doncaster captain who placed bets against own club

A RUGBY league player has been banned for breaches of the sport’s rules that included betting against his own club.

Doncaster captain Shaun Leaf was yesterday suspended for 18 months and fined £500 by a Rugby Football League tribunal.

He was accused of betting against his club in a game against Toulouse in August 2009 and a fourth round Challenge Cup tie against Wakefield Trinity Wildcats on May 8 this year – and found guilty by the tribunal yesterday.

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The 22-year-old was also found to have bet on other matches – including Gateshead against Harlequins and Wigan versus Barrow, both also in May.

The tribunal also ruled he had engaged in conduct that “impaired public confidence in the integrity and/or the honest and orderly conduct of a match and competition”.

But it decided Leaf was not guilty of providing privileged information to a third party to assist in betting activity; seeking to influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of a match; or engaging in conduct that was corrupt or fraudulent.

His ban will run from the date his provisional suspension began on May 12.

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A Rugby Football League spokesman said it would make no further comment on the case.

A national newspaper had alleged Leaf, from Hull, who had been captain of Doncaster for two seasons, had gambled £200 at odds of 10-11 that Wakefield would win by a margin of at least 38 points. The team conceded a last-minute try to go down 50-10 although the player missed the game because of injury.

It was also claimed he lost £600 backing Doncaster to lose by more than 48 points in the match against Toulouse.

Rugby league players are prohibited against gambling on the outcome of matches.

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Anti-gambling procedures were tightened when internationals Sean Long and Martin Gleeson were found guilty of betting against their club St Helens in 2004. Each was fined £7,500 and banned for three and four months respectively.

Last night the Doncaster club could not be reached for comment