Referees at the Rugby World Cup have been instructed to take swift action against players found to be diving or feigning injury.
World Rugby match officials selection committee John Jeffrey revealed any player found guilty of such an offence would be sin-binned or even banned, as the governing body battlesto prevent "football culture" creeping into the game.
Those players that go unpunished on the pitch could still be issued off-field yellow cards by the citing commissioner, with repeat offenders in danger of receiving dates with the judiciary.
"There is a culture creeping in," Jeffrey said. "I call it the football culture, of simulation, people appealing to the referee, players - and it has happened a couple of times - diving.
"That is going to be sanctioned very heavily in this tournament. We are the showcase of our rugby event and it's very, very important that we keep our values there and referees have been asked to sanction very heavily on that."
Jeffrey, a former Scotland and Lions flanker, confirmed referees had been instructed to treat diving as "ungentlemanly conduct" and issue a yellow card to any player spotted committing such an offence.
Referees would also be wary to stamp out another scourge that it encroaching from football, with players badgering referees being warned at first and marched back 10 metres if the problem persists.
