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Armitage banned for 12 weeks after abusive rant

Toulon's Delon Armitage prepares to grab the ball during his French Union final rugby match against Castres at the Stade de France Stadium in Saint-Denis, near Paris, June 1, 2013. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

LONDON (Reuters) - Former England international Delon Armitage has been banned for 12 weeks for abusing spectators after Toulon's European Cup clash with Leicester earlier this month. The 31-year-old wing/fullback will be eligible to play again from March 8, 2015, a European rugby disciplinary hearing said late on Wednesday. "The committee was satisfied that Armitage had directed abusive language at Leicester Tigers supporters after the match, and while it found that his comments were provoked, the committee decided he was guilty of misconduct," the competition's organisers said in a statement. The starting point for the penalty was eight weeks but the disciplinary committee increased it to 12 because Armitage had been banned previously for another post-match altercation. "As there were no mitigating factors, it decided to add four weeks to the ban before imposing a suspension of 12 weeks." He was also ordered to pay costs. Italy prop Martin Castrogiovanni was also fined 10,000 euros and given a four-week suspended ban at a separate hearing on Wednesday after comments he made against Richard Cockerill, his former coach at Leicester, following the Dec. 7 game won 25-21 by Leicester. The ban is suspended until next April and will be enforced if he is cited for an off-field indiscretion again, the committee added. (Reporting by Greg Stutchbury in Napier; Editing by Ian Ransom)