Berthoumieu suspended 12 matches after Rugby World Cup biting incident

Event date: 2025-09-22

France flanker Axelle Berthoumieu was handed a 12-match suspension after being cited for biting Ireland’s Aoife Wafer during a Women’s Rugby World Cup quarterfinal, according to the packet’s report. The punishment was one of the most severe disciplinary outcomes of the tournament and immediately removed her from France’s remaining matches and a large part of the following domestic calendar.

The report said the incident took place in the quarterfinal and led to a formal review under World Rugby’s disciplinary system. Biting is among the clearest red-line offences in rugby union, so the sanction reflects both the seriousness of the act and the governing body’s efforts to police player safety and on-field conduct.

The same packet said teammate Manaé Feleu was also facing disciplinary action, although the exact outcome for her was not included in the excerpt. That added an extra layer of pressure on the French side, which was already dealing with the reputational damage of one of its players receiving a major suspension at a World Cup.

The central facts are simple: a quarterfinal, a biting allegation, and a 12-match ban. Those facts are enough to show the scale of the fallout without adding speculation about motive or intent. The report does not describe the point in the match when the incident happened or whether television evidence or match officials triggered the review, so those details remain unreported here.

Disciplinary decisions of this length usually carry practical consequences well beyond the immediate tournament. A 12-match ban can affect selections, club availability and a player’s standing with coaches and teammates. In this case, the suspension also risked becoming part of the wider story of France’s tournament campaign, because it placed a negative spotlight on the squad during a major international event.

The incident also served as a reminder that Rugby World Cup play is scrutinised closely by officials. When a player is banned for biting, the governing principle is straightforward: the offence is treated as incompatible with the sport’s standards, regardless of the match stage or the stakes.

The packet did not provide the disciplinary panel’s written reasoning, nor did it give a precise start date for the ban. It did, however, clearly identify the length of the suspension and the match in which the offence allegedly occurred. On that basis, the article can safely report the sanction itself and note that further details on Feleu’s case were not included in the available evidence.