Sale Sharks have terminated winger Tom Arscott's contract for allegedly leaking team information to Bristol before the club's 24-23 loss to their Premiership relegation rivals this month.
Sale had suspended Arscott, accusing him of sharing tactical information with his brother Luke, who plays at full-back for Bristol, before their match on 1 January.
"Sale Sharks have today terminated the contract of Tom Arscott with immediate effect following a disciplinary investigation and hearing," Sale's chief executive Jon Dorsett said in a statement.
"No further comment will be made in accordance with the club's disciplinary procedure."
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) said on Tuesday it is investigating a complaint by Sale Sharks that one of their players leaked confidential team information to Bristol Rugby prior to their Premiership clash this month.
Arscott denied leaking confidential team information to Bristol at a RFU disciplinary hearing, British media reported.
Listen to live coverage of Castres v Leinster this Friday on 2fm’s extended Game On (KO 7.45pm) and Toulouse v Connacht in the Champions Cup on RTÉ Radio’s Sunday Sport (KO 3.15pm)
Sale suspended Arscott, who joined the club from London Welsh in 2013 and is a former Bristol player, after his team-mates expressed concerns to Sharks director of rugby Steve Diamond.
When Diamond was questioned about the situation on Tuesday this week, he revealed that Arscott had been suspended.
"We investigated it internally and we are going through a disciplinary, and under the regulations, we have to report it (to the RFU), so we did that," Diamond said.
When then asked how disruptive it had been for the rest of his squad, Diamond, whose side have lost their last 10 matches in all competitions, added: "The squad are galvanised.
"They came to me with the problem. I knew nothing about it. And I reacted to that - senior players coming to me.
"I think if you do your own analysis, you probably don't need the information, because teams do the same most weeks. 'But in the same breath, I think there is an element of trust you need, and loyalty.
"I think when you sign a professional contract, team information is sacrosanct to the team's performance and that can't be discussed, certainly with opposition teams. I think that is the top and bottom of it."
Neither Arscott brother played in the game, with Tom not included in Sale's 23-man squad and Luke an unused replacement in Bristol's.
In Bristol's statement read out by head coach Mark Tainton on Tuesday, the club said it was "entirely comfortable" they had done nothing wrong.
Tainton said: "From what we are aware, we are entirely comfortable that Bristol Rugby have done nothing wrong.
"Tom Arscott and Luke Arscott met on New Year's Eve at the team hotel, which is not unusual for family living in different parts of the country to meet up.
"Following the conversation between the brothers, nothing was said or passed to the Bristol coaches of any sporting value, nor did it change the strategy in which we approached the game in any way, shape or form.
"As a club, we are entirely confident we have not acted in a way that is against the spirit and values of rugby."
