Championship club’s fans call for ‘major RFL reform’ and launch petition against Mark Aston’s ban

Sheffield Eagles supporters have launched a petition calling for an ‘urgent review’ into Mark Aston’s 18-month ban: as well as an essential reform of the RFL’s head injury protocol.

Aston was suspended by the RFL last week after he was found guilty of a major breach of the sport’s HIA regulations. It emerged that Eagles player Matty Marsh featured in a Challenge Cup tie at Wigan without being signed off by the club’s doctor after he had previously failed a HIA.

Aston is unable to hold a senior position within rugby league that may influence team selection until April 2026. The ban means Sheffield are on the hunt for a new coach for the first time in years, with Aston’s time at the club now over.

A number of Sheffield players have taken to social media to express their disappointment at the suspension and now, Eagles fans are attempting to have their voice heard and get Aston’s 18-month suspension urgently reviews.

In a petition on Change.org, they are calling for a number of factors to be considered including ‘his status as one of British sport’s longest-serving coaches’, the nature of his violation and the fact he has already been suspended by the club since July of this year.

But perhaps more strikingly, they are demanding the RFL’s protocols surrounding head injuries be reviewed. The petition suggests the governing body should ‘create achievable procedures for part-time clubs’ and ‘bridge the gap between full-time and part-time requirements’.

They are aiming to reach 10,000 signatures and say while they fully acknowledge the importance of strong head injury regulations, Aston’s punishment is ‘catastrophically disproportionate’.

Aston has already vowed to clear his name, and last week said: “Having discovered the outcome of the hearing, I am naturally disappointed with the findings and will now explore all my options in a quest to clear my name.

“During my 25-year (coaching) career, I have been proud to hold an unblemished record and player welfare has always been of the utmost importance. I can only ever act on the information at my disposal.”

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