ENGLAND centre Jonathan Joseph has been banned for two games and fined for breaking lockdown laws the day after he was axed from England's Six Nations squad.
Joseph, who is in Eddie Jones' shadow group, was caught mixing with multiple households – along with Bath team-mate Elliott Stooke and Wasps' Gabriel Oghre.
The incident occurred on January 24 – the day after England's Six Nations squad was announced.
Stooke and Oghre were both slapped with three-game bans. Joseph is free to play again on 16 February, with the others out until February 23.
A Bath statement said: "The players pleaded guilty to the charges and each apologised for socialising indoors with members of two different households.
"Stooke drove home a member of another household at the end of the evening and was issued a further sanction by the club disciplinary committee: A formal written warning and 15 hours of community service."
Bath reported the incident to the RFU and kept them informed throughout the investigation and disciplinary process.
The independent disciplinary panel considered the sanctions Bath had put in place but determined further sanctions were necessary.
This saw Joseph given an additional one-week suspension, while Stooke was given an additional two-weeks.
Wasps said: “Wasps are aware of a breach of Covid-19 regulations by one of our players, Gabriel Oghre.
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"The club were extremely disappointed to learn of this incident, particularly as we regularly remind all players and staff about the latest protocols and their responsibility to set an example by adhering to them.
“A club investigation has already taken place and this matter has been dealt with internally."
The RFU clarified the charges in an official statement: "The players were charged with breaching RFU Rule 5.12 (conduct prejudicial to the interests of the union and/or game).
"This was for off-field infringements of the Government's National Covid-19 Rules and related to mixing of multiple households, with two players travelling to visit the third.
"Both clubs did their own detailed investigation into the breaches and took their own disciplinary action against the three players.
"All three players accepted the charges."
Bath are reserving the right to appeal the panel’s decision.
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