Morné Steyn of Vodacom Bulls was suspended by a Panel after his red card in the United Rugby Championship Round 12 game against Vodacom Bulls on Saturday, February 12, 2022.
The Player was shown a red card by referee AJ Jacobs in the 12th minute of the game under Law 9.13 – A player must not tackle an opponent early, late or dangerously. Dangerous tackling includes, but is not limited to, tackling or attempting to tackle an opponent above the line of the shoulders even if the tackle starts below the line of the shoulders.
A Disciplinary Panel considered all of the evidence available and concluded that the referee’s decision to issue the red card was not wrong and so upheld the red card. The Panel determined that the entry point be mid-range which carried a suspension of six (6) weeks. The Player did accept that he had committed an act of foul play but did not accept that it warranted a red card. The Panel considered the Player’s previous good record and admittance to a late and high tackle, and determined that it would reduce the sanction by three (3) weeks.
Subsequently, the Player has successfully taken part in the World Rugby HPC Coaching Intervention process, where a Player can undergo a coaching session to modify their technique or behaviours. This process is overseen by an independent expert coaching review group, which has reduced the ban by a further week.
The Player is now free to play as of Sunday, March 6, 2022, and can be selected for the Vodacom Bulls fixture with Munster.