Share

Lions hooker cops 3-game ban

Cape Town - Lions hooker Robbie Coetzee has been banned for three matches after being found guilty of foul play.

A SANZAR judicial hearing found Coetzee guilty of contravening Law 10.4 (j), Lifting Tackle, after he was cited following a Super Rugby match at the weekend.

Coetzee has been suspended for three matches up to and including Saturday, June 20.

The incident occurred in the 49th minute of the match between the Cheetahs and Lions at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein last Saturday.

The SANZAR judicial hearing was heard by Robert Stelzner SC via video conference on Tuesday. John Langford was the former professional player who attended as a judicial technical adviser.

In his finding, Stelzner ruled the following:

"As the judicial officer, I considered all the evidence before me including the video footage, citing commissioner's report, medical information for the Cheetahs' player, Rayno Benjamin, who was involved in the incident and the submissions made for the player by his legal representative, Frikkie Erasmus and Lions defence coach, JP Ferreira.

"The player, through his legal representative, denied having committed an offence in terms of 10.4 (j) - Lifting Tackles. The video footage in my view clearly shows that the Cheetahs' player was lifted and dropped into the ground whilst that player’s feet were off the ground, with the result that the player’s upper body and head came into contact with the ground. This is dangerous play in contravention of the applicable Law.

“After taking further facts into consideration, such as the player’s unsuccessful attempt to hold on to his opponent in the tackle, I found the incident to have a lower end entry point. A four-week suspension is indicated for such offending.

“The need for a deterrent in the circumstances of this incident is in my view served by imposing a further week’s suspension.

Mitigating factors included the player’s clean disciplinary record and the fact that he apologised to his opponent both at the time of the incident and after the match, thereby demonstrating remorse for his actions. This, amongst other factors, entitles the player to a reduction in the sanction of two weeks.

"The playing schedule of the player is such that his team has a bye in three weeks’ time. There is furthermore a good prospect that the team will be eligible to play in the Super Rugby finals series in the week thereafter. In the circumstances, a meaningful sanction would be to suspend the player for four weeks which translates into three matches.

"A three-week suspension was accordingly imposed but given that the Lions have a bye three weeks from now, the player is not allowed to take part in any rugby activity before June 20, 2015 in order for there to be a meaningful sanction.

"The player is accordingly found to have contravened Law 10.4 (j) and is suspended up to and including Saturday, June 20, 2015."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 439 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 627 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.0%
Rand - Pound
23.90
-0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.41
+0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.0%
Platinum
908.05
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.94
+1.3%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE