Rugby: Sale sack winger for leaking information with rival club

Tom Arscott has been let go by Sale Sharks after allegedly leaking information. Photo / Getty Images

English rugby side Sale Sharks have sacked winger Tom Arscott after he allegedly leaked information to Premiership rivals Bristol.

Sharks chief executive Jon Dorsett said in a brief statement that the decision followed a disciplinary investigation and hearing.

Arscott, 29, had been suspended by the club since January 4, three days after Bristol beat Sale 24-23.

Bristol said earlier this week that Arscott met his brother Luke - a Bristol player - at the team hotel on New Year's Eve.

But the west country club insist that "nothing of any sporting value" was passed on to coaching staff and that they were "entirely confident we have not acted in a way that is against the spirit and values of rugby."

A complaint made by Sale relating "to the passing of information to the opposition team" is currently being investigated by the Rugby Football Union.

Sale suspended wing Arscott, who joined the club from London Welsh in 2013, after his team-mates expressed concerns to the north-west club's director of rugby Steve Diamond.

When Diamond was questioned about the situation on Tuesday, he revealed that Arscott had been suspended.

"We investigated it internally and we are going through a disciplinary, and under the regulations, we have to report it (to the RFU), so we did that," Diamond said.

When then asked how disruptive it had been for the rest of his squad, Diamond, whose side have lost their last 10 matches in all competitions, added: "The squad are galvanised.

"They came to me with the problem. I knew nothing about it. And I reacted to that - senior players coming to me."

Neither Arscott brother played in the game, with Tom not included in Sale's 23-man squad and Luke an unused replacement in Bristol's.

In Bristol's statement, which was read out by head coach Mark Tainton at Tuesday's scheduled weekly press conference, the club said it was "entirely comfortable" they had done nothing wrong.

- AAP