Steve Pilgrim is an English former rugby player, who played rugby union

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 for Wasps and England B.

In 1993, Pilgrim was banned from rugby union for a year. At the time, the Rugby Football Union

Rugby Football Union

The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...

 had a stance of banning players who played rugby league

Rugby league

Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...

: at the time, league was a professional code and union was amateur. By playing as an anonymous triallist in a reserve match for Leeds

Leeds Rhinos

Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...

, Pilgrim fell foul of the disciplinary code.

The Leeds coach, Doug Laughton

Doug Laughton

C. Doug Laughton is an English former rugby league footballer and coach. He played club football as a , or / for St. Helens, Wigan, Widnes and Canterbury Bulldogs...

, stressed that Pilgrim had only received expenses for his game against Wakefield Trinity on Tuesday night. 'There will be 10 or 15 players at Cardiff Arms Park who have earned a lot more from rugby than Steve Pilgrim,' he said.