World Rugby has suspended Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada for two matches under a new match official abuse sanction policy after his post-match comments following Italy's 47-17 loss to New Zealand in Wellington.

Quesada can appeal the sanction to a full judicial committee hearing, and the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR) said it will also appeal the ban.

An independent panel will assess conduct or comments by team personnel, weighing factors like bias, motive, impact, and public confidence in officials, with possible outcomes ranging from no action to formal sanctions.

Rassie Erasmus had previously voiced concerns about new referee communication changes, adding context to the broader debate over officiating and governance in rugby.

World Rugby says the process complements existing misconduct provisions and social media protection programmes for officials and players.

The ban sits within wider discussions of World Rugby’s referee-protection rules and recent changes to referee communications protocols ahead of the 2026 Nations Championship.

Italy also faced Niccolò Cannone’s suspension, with a four-match ban for headbutting New Zealand scrum-half Cam Roigard, plus a separate three-match ban related to a headbutt in the same context, affecting Italy ahead of the Nations Championship.

Cannone’s disciplinary issues followed a sin-binning that was upgraded to a red card in the same match.

Quesada’s post-match remarks criticized the refereeing team and suggested Italy’s head injuries were worsened by playing with ten men, while acknowledging the All Blacks deserved the win and disputing a decision against Niccolò Cannone.

The specific comments included blaming referees for mistakes and contending the All Blacks deserved the victory, alongside criticism of a Cannone decision as harsh.

The ban covers comments made in broadcasts that were later reported, reflecting the new sanctions that began this month to curb abuse toward referees.

Quesada also criticized the scheduling of the new Nations Championship, which he said contributed to the suspension.