Argentina fly-half Tomas Albornoz has been slapped with misconduct charges for his behaviour after the final whistle following his team's Nations Championship defeat to England.
A fiery encounter between the two nations in Santiago del Estero witnessed seven yellow cards in 80 minutes, before the hosts had a last-gasp try chalked off. Bautista Delguy's try would have drawn the scores level in the dying seconds but was eventually disallowed by referee Angus Gardner, with England clinging on for a 31-24 victory.
Incident after the final whistle
As Gardner blew for full-time, he was confronted by members of the Argentine squad, with Albornoz rushing over to the Australian official and making physical contact. The referee was heard shouting, "Hey, hey, hey," and ordering Albornoz to move away from him after contact was made.
Members of Argentina's backroom staff reportedly had to prevent other players from approaching Gardner, with the referee also subjected to abuse from the crowd as he exited the pitch, with an object hurled at him from the stands.
World Rugby charges Albornoz
World Rugby has since confirmed, in accordance with its new Match Official Abuse Sanction Process, the Toulon star has been charged with misconduct and will face a disciplinary committee. The governing body's statement read: "Tomás Albornoz has been issued with misconduct charges following Argentina's Nations Championship match against England at Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero on 18 July, 2026."
"In line with the remit of the Match Official Abuse Sanction Process, the charges relate to events following the final whistle. Albornoz was seen remonstrating with the match officials following the final whistle. The hearing details will be confirmed shortly."
The statement continued: "The Match Official Abuse Sanction Process was introduced to complement Regulation 18 and provide a clearer and more consistent framework for addressing public criticism of match officials, particularly where such comments may contribute to wider online abuse."
"Developed by a cross-game working group including competition owner, match official playing and coaching representation and championed by Union CEOs, the process reflects a unified commitment to support and protect match officials."
Reaction from Brian Moore
Former England hooker Brian Moore demanded World Rugby investigate the incident and impose "meaningful" sanctions if warranted. He wrote in his Telegraph column that players "should never be allowed to lay a hand on officials". He continued: "World Rugby has a duty to fully investigate these reports and, if there is any truth to them, sanction Argentina in a meaningful way."
"Rugby cannot afford to have its officials made vulnerable when they are doing their best to referee difficult games that sometimes have a bewildering level of complexity over its established laws."
