“It’s just an action he chose to do himself.” Referee Craig Evans, at Church Bank.
Rugby fans are calling for a lifetime ban for Ebbw Vale lock Curtis Gregory after a stamp on an opponent’s leg, broadcast live on S4C.
The Curtis Gregory stamp came five minutes before half-time in Thursday night’s Super Rygbi Cymru match at Llandovery. He was sent off, and the clip has gone around the world.
Watch the clip S4C posted below. Should he ever play again? Tell us in the comments.
CERDYN COCH: Curtis Gregory, Glynebwy
— S4C Chwaraeon (@S4Cchwaraeon) October 22, 2026
One stamp, straight into the knee
Llandovery led 8-0 when a ruck formed in the middle of the field. A Llandovery player was on the ground by Gregory’s legs.
Gregory looked down and brought his boot down once, into the player’s knee. Llandovery players went straight for him, and both packs piled in.
The S4C commentators had seen enough. “If ever you saw a red card… that’s it,” one said. “That could end someone’s career,” said the other.
Was his leg being held? The referee asked
Before he reached for his pocket, Evans asked his assistant referee whether the Llandovery player had been holding Gregory.
The answer was no clear hold. “He hasn’t been aggravated. It’s just an action he chose to do himself. So red card,” Evans said on the referee mic.
The commentary saw it a little differently. “There was a little bit of a hold on the leg, but it doesn’t allow you to stamp on somebody’s knee joint like that,” one commentator said.
It was a permanent red, not a 20-minute one. The Llandovery player got up and played on.
Fans: “He could have crippled that man”
Within hours the Curtis Gregory stamp was everywhere.
“He could have crippled that man for life,” one fan wrote, as SportBible reported.
Others called it “absolutely grim” and “very dirty”, according to RUCK, which found even some Ebbw Vale supporters had little sympathy.
Can a stamp get a lifetime ban?
Not under World Rugby’s standard sanctions. A stamp on an opponent tops out at 52 weeks, with entry points of 2, 6 and 12 weeks depending on how serious it is.
World Rugby’s scale keeps a life ban for physical abuse of a match official.
If the Curtis Gregory stamp goes to a hearing, a panel decides where it sits on that scale. Intent, the injury caused and any provocation all count, along with his record and whether he admits it.
The WRU is waiting for the referee’s report before any hearing, according to Brit Brief.
Ebbw Vale still won with 14 men
It was still 8-0 to Llandovery at half-time. A man down, Ebbw Vale then scored 31 unanswered points and won 31-15.
Your turn: life ban, or 52 weeks?
You’ve seen the clip and heard the referee. Is a life ban fair, or is the maximum enough? Tell us below.
Curtis Gregory stamp: quick answers
Has Curtis Gregory been banned?
Not yet. He was sent off on Thursday 22 October 2026, and the WRU is reported to be awaiting the referee’s report.
What is the maximum ban for stamping in rugby?
52 weeks under World Rugby’s sanctions, with entry points of 2, 6 and 12 weeks.
What was the score in Llandovery v Ebbw Vale?
Ebbw Vale won 31-15 at Church Bank, after trailing 8-0 at half-time with 14 men.
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