Fiji lock jailed for sex attacks

FOrMEr Northampton and London Irish lock Api ratuniyarawa has been jailed for nearly three years after sexually assaulting three teenagers in a bar, days before he was due to play for the Barbarians.

The 37-year-old Fiji international had been in Cardiff ahead of the game against Wales last autumn when he attacked the women in the VIP area of a city centre bar. Cardiff Crown Court heard ratuniyarawa went to the bar on three consecutive nights with his team-mates and, each time, assaulted a victim while drunk. ratuniyarawa played more than 100 games for Northampton over a six-year spell and has also gained 38 caps for Fiji, appearing at the 2015 World Cup.

He is currently without a club, having spent last season at the now-bankrupt London Irish. ratuniyarawa pleaded guilty to two charges of assault by penetration and one charge of sexual assault.

He was jailed for two years and 10 months, put on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years and given a three-year restraining order against one of the victims. ratuniyarawa denied two more charges of sexual assault relating to one of the women and they were ordered to lie on file. Meanwhile, England’s prop stocks were dealt another blow after Joe Marler was ruled out of Harlequins’ Champions Cup tie with Cardiff.

The 33-year-old injured his arm against Gloucester last month and, with the Six Nations just weeks away, has yet to be given a return date. Marler’s fellow looseheads Ellis Genge, Mako Vunipola, Bevan rodd and Val rapava-ruskin are also sidelined through injury or suspension. Quins coach Danny Wilson said: ‘There is still a little bit of assessment going on. Joe is a week-by-week process at the moment. There have been a few twists and turns with it.’ Nottingham have launched a crowdfunding bid to raise £50,000 after their Lady Bay ground was flooded. Friday’s home fixture against London Scottish is already off, but the Archers cannot cover costs through insurance as the stadium is on a flood plain.