User:The C of E/gouge his

History
Eye-gouging in Rugby Union is a relativly modern development in the British Isles and northern hemisphere due to the spirit in which the game is usually played. The first major reported case came in 1992 when Richard Loe gouged Greg Cooper in the National Provincial Championship. The event took the New Zealand Rugby Union's diciplinary committee nine hours to come up with a punishment as there was no previous precidence to guide their decision. It is fairly common and considered "a way of life" in French rugby where it is known as "La fourchette".

Punishment for eye-gouging has been subject to debate depending on interpretation.