A pro rugby player in England won't be hitting the pitch for the next TWO AND A HALF MONTHS ... and it's all 'cause he grabbed and pinched some dude's junk in a game.
A disciplinary committee announced the 10-week suspension Thursday ... saying when Joe Marler inappropriately squeezed a player's genitals in a Six Nations Championship match last week -- he "committed an act of foul play."
If ya missed it ... Marler -- a stud player for English rugby squad Harlequin F.C. -- reached down and fondled an opponent's crotch in the Wales vs. England tilt on March 7.
@JoeMarler never change #ENGvWAL pic.twitter.com/He074XOt5q
— FreeTheBeard (@davidsmith1000) March 7, 2020
You can see in footage of the incident ... the victim was NOT happy about the grab -- and tried to point out the illegal squeeze to the refs.
At a hearing this week ... a disciplinary committee announced 29-year-old Marler will not be allowed to play again until June 8 -- but did say he has the right to appeal.
Marler tweeted -- and then deleted -- about the incident a day after it went down, writing "Bollocks. Complete bollocks."
FYI, it was a pretty good deal for Marler all things considered ... because he was facing up to a 4-YEAR ban for the move.
Marler is one of the better rugby players in England ... reportedly earning more than 60 caps in his international rugby career.