League-Australia prop Vaughan sacked by club following COVID breach
July 6 (Reuters) - Australia prop Paul Vaughan has been sacked by St George Illawarra Dragons for breaching COVID-19 bio-security protocols after inviting 12 players to his house over the weekend, the National Rugby League (NRL) team said on Tuesday.
The NRL on Monday fined Vaughan $50,000 and issued an eight-game ban that would have ruled him out for the season, but the Dragons took further action on Tuesday by terminating his contract, which was due to run until the end of the 2022 season.
"The remainder of Paul Vaughan's playing contract has been terminated, effective immediately, as a result of now a number of breaches that include and predate the current matter," the Dragons said in a statement https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2021/07/04/dragons-statement-player-breach.
The NRL has only been able to operate with 'bio bubbles' in place, with players prevented from having visitors or leaving their homes except for games and training.
The 12 Dragons players who attended the party were given club-imposed sanctions on Tuesday, in addition to the one-match suspension and fines issued by the NRL.
"The remaining 12 players will be issued with individual breach notices containing a confidential monetary fine that will be forwarded to selected local charities as well as compulsory extracurricular club service," the Dragons said. (Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru' Editing by Peter Rutherford )
