Tindall wins appeal

MIKE TINDALL has been reinstated to England’s elite player squad and had his fined reduced after successfully appealing the punishment he received for his Rugby World Cup behaviour.

Tindall was booted out of England’s EPS and fined £25,000 following a controversial night out in Queenstown with a blonde woman following the side’s narrow RWC win over Argentina.

The sanction came after it was revealed he misled team management by not telling them that he went to another bar during the night in question.

However, acting RFU chief executive Martyn Thomas, who heard Tindall's appeal, said there were "mitigating factors" that were not taken into account when the original judgement was made.

“Mike Tindall's fine for breaches of the England elite player squad agreement during the 2011 Rugby World Cup has been reduced from £25,000 to £15,000 and he has been reinstated into the England elite player squad,” said Thomas in a statement.

“Mike did not intentionally mislead the RFU team management when he stated that he could not remember where he was on the night of September 11, and that he was relying on other people's versions of events which were relayed to him.

“There was no evidence of any suggestion of sexual impropriety of any nature with the woman in question, and we accept the fact that she is a family friend who he has known for a long time.

“Mike expressed deep regret during the appeal meeting about his behaviour, and that he had apologised to [former England manager] Martin Johnson and the team for the events which unfolded as a consequence.”

Thomas did admit Tindall’s behaviour “fell way below that to be expected of somebody of his calibre and experience”.

“He exposed himself to a very compromising position and exposed the rest of the team to damaging publicity.”