Scarlets coach Harrington given 12-week ban for abusing match official

Scarlets’ head of conditioning coach Brad Harrington has been given a 12-week touchline ban for abusing a match official in their victory over Ulster back in October.

The Australian, who worked with Leinster, appeared before an independent disciplinary committee in Dublin yesterday.

“The committee found that Mr Harrington had verbally abused the match official during the match and accordingly, upheld the misconduct complaint.

The committee considered Mr Harrington’s previous record and previous cases of a similar nature,” read a Pro12 statement.

He is banned from “any activity within the playing enclosure and further” and “from having any contact, either directly or indirectly, with any match officials on match days for a period of 12 weeks.”

Harrington’s previous record includes a 12-month suspension for swearing at a linesman back in 2010 in a loss against Munster.

Meanwhile Wales’ regional rugby chief executive, Stuart Gallacher, has resigned from the boards of the Pro12 and European Cup.

He had represented the four regions — Scarlets, Ospreys, Cardiff Blues and Newport Gwent Dragons — on the boards of the Celtic League and European Rugby CupLimited.

His move comes amid a dispute between the regions and the Welsh Rugby Union about the future of the game in Wales.

It is understood that Gallacher submitted his resignation letter last week.

Regional Rugby Wales — the umbrella body for Wales’s four professional sides — is locked in a dispute with the WRU over funding, the exodus of Welsh players and the possibility of the Anglo-Welsh league.

Gallacher’s decision will lead to speculation he hopes to avoid a conflict of interest as the regions are considering leaving both competitions to play in the mooted Anglo-Welsh competition.

His resignation comes after the regions had called for a public inquiry as they published confidential information about their income from the tournaments they play in.

However, Gallacher’s withdrawal from the tournaments’ executive will not affect his day to day role with Regional Rugby Wales.

Gallacher was appointed chief executive of Regional Rugby Wales in 2009, succeeding David Moffett, the former WRU Group chief executive.