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SEVENTEEN-stone rugby player Steve Cooper, 46, told a jury today that he was acting in self defence when he used his knee to push an opponent away from him during a confrontation after a tackle.

At Gloucester crown court, Cooper is alleged to have kneed rival scrum half Christopher Furze in the thigh without provocation - causing a serious injury which needed three operations.

But Cooper, of Queens Mead, Bredon, denies inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Furze, 24, during a match between Tewkesbury RFC and Chosen Hill Former Pupils on March 4th 2006.

During the trial the jury has been told that early in the second half Cooper tackled Mr Furze, landing on top of him on the ground.

Mr Furze protested that the tackle was late - after he had already passed the ball - and the two players squared up to each other swearing, the jury heard.

The prosecution allege that Tewkesbury player Cooper tried to punch Mr Furze and then kneed him in the thigh - causing a 'dead leg' injury which forced the Chosen Hill player to retire.

Later Mr Furze was in such pain that he went to hospital - where he was found to have 'compartment syndrome', a dangerous condition which causes a build up of pressure in the limb and threatens the blood supply.

He was in hospital for eight days and underwent three operations to relieve the pressure.

In evidence today Cooper said the incident began at a ruck which Chosen Hill won.

He said as soon as Mr Furze put his hands on the ball to pass it out of the ruck he tackled him 'with as much force as I could muster.' "I am sixteen and a half or seventeen stone and I hit him at full flight," he said, "He was not very happy. I could hear the language.

"I then received a very heavy blow to the left side of my head on my ear. I was not very amused.

"Certain things I will put up with but not a cheap shot when I am lying on the floor.

"There were questions of my parentage being asked by him - quite a few different swear words were being bandied by myself as much as him."

He said Mr Furze clearly wanted him to get off him - which he was trying to do.

"I don't think he was happy with my tackle. I thought it was good timing - he didn't.

"It was a difference of opinion - it happens. We both got to our feet. He got toe to toe with me and squared up to me. He was about a foot away. There was animated language - we were both cursing each other.

"He was grabbing me or I was grabbing him. The terminology is 'handbags.' I got the impression he wanted to take it further. I didn't.

"I was trying to stop him from hitting me again.

"I picked my right leg up and pushed him sideways with it. There was no attempt to knee him in the nether regions - I just wanted to get him out of the way and stop it escalating.

"I did not use a great deal of force. I didn't think it would cause any harm at all - it would just push him out of the way and give me a quick exit to prevent it escalating and getting out of proportion.

"I felt there was no need for the blow to the side of my head - it had been, as far as I was concerned, a good tackle."

He said he had no idea at that time that Mr Furze had been badly injured and he was shocked when he later learnt what had happened.

On March 9, he said, he attended a Tewksbury club meeting at which he agreed to have a voluntary eight-week ban from playing pending any RFU disciplinary action.

Asked how he felt about having criminal charges brought against him he said "Appalled and slightly aggrieved - and slightly frightened at times. "

It had delayed his retirement from playing and his move into refereeing but he is now a qualified referee and officiating at games, he said Asked if he had thrown a punch, as alleged by Mr Furze, he said "I can't say yes and I can't say no - I just can't be sure."

He had only ever had two yellow cards in his rugby career and had never been sent off, he said.

The trial continues tomorrow

4:37pm Wednesday 26th March 2008

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