Mark Aston slams RFL with ‘aggressive’ claim made in impassioned statement

Former Sheffield Eagles head coach Mark Aston has hit out at the Rugby Football League (RFL) for ‘aggressively undermining’ his case, after withdrawing his appeal for his 18-month suspension.

The 1998 Challenge Cup winner, who took charge of the Sheffield side on 195 occasions between 2003 and 2024, was suspended following breaches of the RFL’s Operational Rules after selecting a player without necessary medical clearance in last year’s Challenge Cup defeat to Wigan Warriors.

The appeal against the suspension was set to be held on May 20th.

Mark Aston hits out at RFL following withdrawal of appeal

In a statement, Aston said: “Following today’s (Tuesday) statement by the RFL, I would like to take the time out to explain why I made the difficult decision to end my appeal against the 18-month suspension imposed.

“Throughout this process, the RFL has aggressively fought to undermine my case, including getting a crucial witness affidavit thrown out ahead of this appeal being heard. This affidavit undermined their entire case against my conviction. Their determination to pursue this matter with such vigour against an individual coach, at a cost of tens of thousands of pounds, raises serious questions about proportionality and a total disregard for the perilous state of the sport’s financial situation.

ASTON: Mark Aston appeal decision made as RFL express ‘disappointment’ over conduct

“But in my own personal position, the costs involved had become a major financial burden, after spending around two years of my salary in legal costs. With all the factors involved, I was left with no other choice but to protect my family home and our future, something that was becoming increasingly difficult to do as costs continued to rise. I have had to put my house up for sale to cover the costs of this process.

“Despite Sport Resolutions agreeing to hear my case independently – something the RFL fervently resisted – the mounting legal expenses have reached a point where I had to make a responsible decision. Taking the matter to Sport Resolutions alone came at a financial cost of £5,000, and as you can imagine, that just scratches the surface. Just to go to the one-day hearing, the barrister’s costs were over £40,000. We had previously engaged with the RFL for over a month, pre-hearing, to get to a resolution, but it was to no avail. It simply became too much.

“Thankfully, on Monday, I received good news that Sport Resolutions found in my favour in relation to costs on this matter. The RFL has been actively pursuing all costs against me in relation to this matter, but Sports Resolutions found in my favour that we acted in a proper manner to resolve this and that we were actively involved in discussions with the RFL, despite their claim that we weren’t. In the RFL’s statement, they said they were disappointed in my conduct throughout this process, but I would certainly say the same about them and I’m glad Sports Resolutions recognised that I conducted myself in the appropriate manner.

“I truly appreciate the tremendous support I’ve received from Eagles fans and the wider rugby league community. Their belief in me has been a great solace and source of strength during this extremely challenging time. I would also like to sincerely thank my close family and friends who have supported me throughout this painful episode.”

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