Japan's SA-born star receives ban for dangerous tackle

DISCIPLINARY UPDATE: Flank Pieter Labuschagne will miss the start of Japan’s World Cup campaign.

The South African-born player received a three-match ban for foul play in Japan’s World Cup warm-up match against Fiji in Tokyo last weekend.

Labuschagne appeared before an independent judicial committee on Thursday having received a red card for a dangerous tackle (Law 9.13) in the match on August 5.

The independent Disciplinary Committee was chaired by Brenda Heather-Latu (Samoa), joined by former international player Leon Lloyd (England) and former international coach Frank Hadden (Scotland).

The Committee, having considered the player’s submissions and reviewed all available evidence, found that the red card threshold had been met and that the red card was therefore upheld.

The Committee noted that the offence carries a mandatory mid-range sanction (six matches) and having considered the mitigating factors reduced the sanction by the maximum mitigation of 50 percent.

The final sanction is three matches as follows:
August 26: v Italy (warm-up match)
September 10: v Chile (World Cup match)
September 17: v England (World Cup match)*

*Labuschagne intends to apply to take part in the World Rugby Coaching Intervention Programme to substitute the final match of the sanction.

A coaching intervention aimed at modifying specific techniques and technical issues that contributed to the foul play.

The player has the right of appeal within 48 hours of the issuing of the full written decision.