England rugby international charged over allegedly using homophobic slur during game

England wing Denny Solomona will appear before a disciplinary hearing next week after being charged with verbally abusing a Worcester player during Sale's Aviva Premiership victory over the Warriors last Saturday.

Fly-half Jamie Shillcock complained to referee Andrew Jackson that he had twice been the target of an alleged homophobic slur made by Solomona shortly after the pair had been involved in a second-half fracas at the AJ Bell Stadium.

The offence of verbally abusing an opponent about their religion, colour, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin carries the sanction of a ban ranging from six to 18 weeks.

The Rugby Football Union said: "Denny Solomona of Sale Sharks will appear before an RFU disciplinary panel charged with conduct prejudicial to the interests of the union or the game, contrary to RFU rule 5.12. In the weekend's Premiership match between Sale Sharks and Worcester Warriors, Solomona allegedly verbally abused a Worcester Warriors player."

Rugby league convert Solomona faces the three-person RFU disciplinary panel in Stockport next Thursday.

The 24-year-old won both of his caps as a replacement during last summer's tour to Argentina and has been on the periphery of England's training squads since.

Earlier this year France centre Mathieu Bastareaud received a three-week ban for calling Sebastien Negri, the Italy flanker, a "f***ing faggot" during a Champions Cup game and missed the start of the NatWest 6 Nations as a result.

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