Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE

England lock cited for kicking Fijian

England's Joe Launchbury has been cited for kicking Fiji centre Asaeli Tikoirotuma in the rugby Test at Twickenham on the weekend.

England lock Joe Launchbury has been cited for kicking Fiji centre Asaeli Tikoirotuma in the 58-15 victory at Twickenham on Saturday.

The incident is alleged to have taken place in the second minute with Launchbury appearing to aim for the ball only to strike Tikoirotuma.

The low-end sanction for the offence is four weeks, the mid-range eight weeks and the top-end 12 weeks plus, with Launchbury's hearing scheduled for Monday afternoon.

Launchbury crossed twice in the nine-try demolition of Fiji but could now miss the remaining two matches of England's autumn program, against Argentina on Saturday and Australia on December 3.

The Wasps captain has started alongside Courtney Lawes for the comfortable wins over South Africa and the Pacific Islanders due to the injury enforced absence of Maro Itoje and George Kruis.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

However, Kruis' return from ankle surgery is imminent therefore mitigating the disruption caused if Launchbury is suspended, although coach Eddie Jones will not want to be denied the use of one of his top performers this autumn.


1 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world