Sharks' Bok gets three weeks for red card

DISCIPLINARY DECISION: Sharks prop Retshegofaditswe Nche has been suspended for three weeks, following his red card in the Champions Cup Round One win over Harlequins in Durban.

Nche faced a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old front row forward was sent off by French referee Tual Trainini in the 59th minute of the match for tackling Harlequins hooker Jack Walker in a dangerous manner – in contravention of Law 9.13.

The disciplinary hearing – comprising Declan Goodwin (Wales), as Chairman, Samantha Hillas (England) and Martyn Wood (England) – considered video imagery of the incident and heard submissions from Nche, who did not accept the red card decision, from the player’s legal representative, Attie Heyns, and from the EPCR disciplinary officer Liam McTiernan.

Michael Horak, the Sharks’ High-Performance Manager, and André Barnard, the Sharks’ Head of Team Culture, were also present on the video link.

The committee upheld the red card decision, finding that in executing the tackle in a dangerous manner, Nche had made contact with Walker’s head.

It then determined that the offending was at the mid-range of World Rugby’s sanctions and six weeks was selected as the appropriate entry point.

As the player has an excellent disciplinary record, and as there were no aggravating factors, it was decided to grant him the full 50 percent mitigation and the committee, therefore, reduced the sanction by three weeks before imposing a three-week suspension.

Nche is free to play on Monday, January 2.

However, if he applies for and successfully completes a World Rugby Coaching Intervention, he will be free to play on Monday, December 26.

Both Nche and EPCR have the right to appeal the decision.