Violent Rugby players accused of violence against women set to face ban Down Under

Sydney, Apr 10 (ANI): The number of women in Australia suffering domestic violence at the hands of their violent Rugby player husbands is increasingly been highlighted, and the players now will reportedly be facing a one year game ban if found guilty.

A petition started by a Brisbane dad, who claimed an automatic one-year ban for National Rugby League (NRL) players found accused of violence against women has attracted nearly 19,000 signatures.

Tony Simpson created the petition, accessible via Change.org, when Cowboys player Robert Lui was last month found guilty of assaulting his partner Taleah Rae Backo in 2011, the Courier Mail reported.

"I've got kids of my own and I don't think there's any place for this in society and when it's in the public eye, it makes it even more difficult to find role models for kids," Tony pointed out.

"Why they are still allowed in the public eye and why are they still allowed to play as elite sports people? It's a very privileged position,'" he added,

NRL chief, David Gallop cited that the petition proved how passionate people were about the issue of domestic violence.

"It's an area we also care strongly about and one in which we have devoted considerable effort to speaking out against at every level," he was quoted as saying. (ANI)