Jonny Hill ‘fan headlock’ investigated as Sale Sharks team-mates rally round England forward

An incident involving Jonny Hill will be investigated by Sale after the England and Lions lock was accused of grabbing a Bath supporter in a headlock that left them with a cut above their right eye during ugly scenes after the Sharks’ semi-final loss at The Rec.

Hill, who is 6ft 7in, was not playing in the match and was dressed in casual clothes and sat in the friends and family section of the West Stand. The incident was seen by multiple eyewitnesses.

In the aftermath, Sale front-rowers Si McIntyre and Tommy Taylor - both of whom started in the semi-final defeat - rallied round Hill on social media, suggesting that the full story remained unknown.

“Easy headline with one narrative. Get the whole story, pal,” Taylor wrote on X, with McIntyre adding: “Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story... the values of rugby are based on respect so salacious headlines only detracts from the skill displayed today.”

The 28-year-old fan, who did not want to be named and was understood to have engaged in some banter with Hill at the end of the game, said afterwards: “I was sat there, and he came down the stairs, grabbed me around the throat, snapped my sunglasses and cut the top of my eye. He was like saying to me, ‘don’t ever do that again’.

“To be honest, all I want is a new pair of sunglasses. It is not football. I was sat with my partner and all her family [Bath fans]. We were Worcester fans. I don’t want to make a big thing.”

Sale said in a statement: “Sale Sharks are aware of an incident involving a player and Bath Rugby fan at the final whistle of today’s semi-final. The club will work with Bath Rugby to complete an investigation into the incident and will provide no further comment at this time.”

Alex Sanderson, the club’s director of rugby, revealed afterwards that he had not seen the incident while also defending Hill’s character.

“It is news to me, Jonny is not the aggressive type and I will answer those questions when I know,” Sanderson said. “I can vouch for Jonny’s character, he is not an overly aggressive or spiteful person.”

Paul Deacon, the Sale assistant coach, could be overheard speaking to the supporter afterwards offering his apologies, while adding that he had not seen what happened.

Hill, who has won 20 caps for England but has not been selected since the Rugby World Cup warm-up matches last summer, has not played for Sale since dislocating his kneecap back in January in a game against La Rochelle in the Investec Champions Cup. He had been linked earlier in the year with a move to France with Lyon before his injury, and is now set to stay with Sale for a further season.

While on tour with England in Australia two years ago Hill received a butt from the Wallaby lock Darcy Swain, who was sent off as a result by referee Ben O’Keeffe, with Hill shown a yellow card following the same incident for pulling his opponent’s hair.

In his subsequent testimony Swain, who was banned for two weeks, described being hurt deliberately by Hill three times during the Test, with Swain also telling the hearing: “I have never been treated in the way Hill treated me in a professional game before, and it hurt, and surprised me, and angered me.” Hill released a statement following that incident saying that he “had absolutely no symptoms as a result of the incident” following the butt, and also that he held “no ill feelings towards” Swain.

Hill did not face any disciplinary action over Swain’s claims, though his actions were considered as mitigation when the panel weighed up the Australian’s punishment.

Hill’s own disciplinary record is fairly clean, receiving a two-match ban in 2017 after he was sent off in a game for Exeter Chiefs against Wasps for striking with the shoulder.

The second-row broke through at Exeter and played a major part in the club’s Premiership and European Cup double back in 2020, starting in both finals, before making the move north to join Sale two years ago. He also toured with the British and Irish in South Africa in 2021.