The Italian Rugby Federation (FIR) said on Thursday that Treviso have suspended an unnamed player after black prop Cherif Traore received a rotten banana as a Christmas gift in a race row which has also prompted a formal investigation.

Traore, a 28-year-old Italian international, who was born in Guinea, was given the present on Tuesday during a Secret Santa exchange, a game where individuals buy presents that are then distributed anonymously.

“The FIR informs that the Federal Prosecutor has launched the investigations necessary to ascertain the facts, as well as the collective and individual responsibilities, to protect the founding values and reputation of the game,” the body said.

More details on SportsDesk. 

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.