Italian rugby player who bit rival is banned for 12 games

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — An Italian player has been suspended for 12 matches for biting an opponent during a Women’s Rugby World Cup match in New Zealand. Lock Sara Tounesi appeared before a judicial committee on Monday charged with the offense which occurred during a match against Japan in Auckland last weekend.  Italy won the match 21-8. The committee said it had “considered all the evidence including from the victim player, the player (Tounesi) and the video footage of the incident.” Tounesi will miss Italy’s first-ever World Cup quarterfinal against France on Saturday. The remainder of her suspension will be determined by the Italian team’s future schedule.