PENZANCE — Alan Paver, joint-head coach of the Cornish Pirates, has been banned for six matches after admitting to slapping an opposition player during a melee in the closing minutes of a game against the Worcester Warriors at Mennaye Field in Penzance. Paver was sent off in the final ten minutes of the match, which Worcester won 29-7.

The incident occurred when Paver left the coaching area and entered the field of play during the melee. Once on the pitch, Paver slapped Worcester player Jake Garside. He was subsequently charged with conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game, a charge he admitted to before a disciplinary panel hearing.

The disciplinary panel determined that the incident's level of seriousness fell at the high end of the offense. Based on that assessment, the panel initially imposed a 12-game suspension on Paver. The panel then reduced the ban by 50 percent, from 12 games to six, after taking into account that Paver admitted to the charges and that he had maintained a good previous disciplinary record.

Under the specific terms of the ban, Paver is not permitted to be with the side for an hour before the start of any match for the duration of the suspension. The six-match absence means Paver will miss all of the Pirates' remaining regular-season fixtures. Should the club finish in the top six of the Championship table, Paver would also be absent for the first round of the play-offs. In the event the Pirates fail to qualify for the play-offs altogether, the outstanding portion of the ban would carry over, and Paver would be suspended for the club's first pre-season game of the next campaign.

Paver has served in the joint-head coach role at the Pirates alongside Gavin Cattle for almost a decade. His absence from matchday duties for the remainder of the regular season leaves Cattle as the sole coaching presence on the touchline. "Cornish Pirates have a mountain to climb if they are to make the Champ play-offs," Cattle said.

Neither Paver nor league authorities have released a public statement regarding the incident or the disciplinary outcome beyond the findings of the panel.