A WELLINGTON rugby player has been ordered by a court to pay £4,000 in compensation after assaulting a rival player during a match.

The attack was launched, prosecutors said, after Wellington RFC player Jack Richards became ‘frustrated’ after losing six scrums, and launched an attack which left Sherborne RFC player Jamie Davidson with a broken eye socket.

Mr Davidson was forced to undergo surgery to insert metal plates into his cheekbone to help repair the damage.

Richards had already pleaded guilty to committing grievous bodily harm before being ordered to complete 200 hours of community service, pay £4,000 in compensation and pay a further £340 toward court costs at a sentencing hearing in Bournemouth Crown Court.

Reports at the time described the match as a “scrappy” affair, with Wellington being left to “lick their wounds” after a 23-17 defeat to Sherborne.

Richards is understood not to have been referred to the Rugby Football Union for disciplinary action.