Pitch invader Jarvo gets two year ban and prison warning

A YouTube prankster who invaded the pitch to line up with the All Blacks for the national anthem in Wales last year has been banned from all sporting events in England and Wales for two years.

Brit Daniel "Jarvo" Jarvis has made a name for himself as a notorious pitch invader after first crashing the fourth Test between England and India at The Oval last year, disguised in test whites.

He struck again in November when he snuck onto the field in Dublin to stand side by side with the Japanese rugby team during their national anthem ahead of a test against Ireland. He also pulled the same gimmick when he joined the All Blacks before a test match in November.

His following extends to the United States after he also ran onto the field in London's NFL match between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins while wearing a Jaguars kit.

Overnight Jarvis appeared at Croydon Magistrates' Court to be sentenced after being convicted of aggravated trespass last month, the Daily Mail reports.

He was sentenced to eight weeks' imprisonment, suspended for two years and was also banned from all sports arenas in England and Wales for two years - from an hour before any event begins through to an hour after it has concluded.

He was also banned from travelling abroad for 12 months.

District Judge Daniel Benjamin told him: "Your behaviour was just not cricket. It brought the match to a halt for approximately five minutes," in reference to the cricket test invasion.

"You deliberately set out to disrupt a high-profile sporting event in order to gain publicity for yourself and footage for your own YouTube channel, from which you presumably also profited through a small share of the advertising revenue depending on the number of times the channel was viewed.

"The harm caused by your conduct, which the pre-sentence report makes clear you fail to understand, was a disruption to the test match including, no doubt, a negative effect on the concentration of the players involved.

"And, whilst fortunately you caused no injury, you collided with one of the players."

He was warned a repeat of his action could lead to prison time.

"If you fail to comply with any of these requirements you will be in breach of this order, which means that you will be brought back to court and you will be on a sticky wicket because you will be liable to serve the sentence of imprisonment, whether in whole or in part," Judge Benajmin said at sentencing.

"Players and officials do not know whether a person crossing the boundary is intent on doing them physical harm or not.

"As with any other member of the public, players and officials deserve to feel safe within their workplace.

"Contrary to your attempts to do otherwise with your YouTube videos, the message needs to go out that wrongly entering the arena at a sporting fixture is not a silly matter.

"It is so wide of the mark of acceptable behaviour that it will be met with severe sanction by the courts."

Jarvo told the Herald last year he'd wanted to be an All Black "because they are the biggest, best rugby team in the world".

"They are the best to watch - that's it really."

He and two friends arrived at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff slightly later than expected, and saw the All Blacks on the field, training in their orange Adidas practice gear.

"I panicked. I thought have they changed their kit? When I saw them run onto the field, I thought 'Thank God'."

He was originally planning to join the haka, perhaps unaware of its cultural importance. "I don't know the haka moves. I was going to do my own crazy moves."

But as the All Blacks were gathering to line up for the anthem, a steward walked from the bottom of the stands, up some stairs. The 33-year-old saw his moment to strip down and head to the turf. "I don't pause. If I act confidently enough, it usually works."

No one pursued him as he jogged, player-like, onto the field, and video shows one official was looking the other way as Jarvo moved behind him to join the All Blacks.

Jarvo's YouTube video showed Richie Mo'unga, Sevu Reece and Brad Weber all cotton on to him pretty quickly.

"When I got there, the players looked at me and looked at me. They didn't say a word. I was looking around. I think the thing that gave me away was my mask."

He was on the field for about 35 seconds - and in the line-up for about 20 seconds - before a steward finally approached him as the national anthem was starting.

"She said: 'Excuse me, you are not meant to be here, can you come off please'. I said: 'I am part of the team'."

After a few seconds, and as a roving television camera came closer, he relented and was eventually escorted off.

"They kicked me out of the ground, and that's that."

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission