VIDEO: McKenzie to miss rest of Trans-Tasman over red card
NEWS: Chiefs fullback Damian McKenzie received a three-week suspension for a dangerous tackle, ending his Super Rugby Trans-Tasman season but keeping him in contention for the upcoming All Blacks Tests.
McKenzie was sent off during the Chiefs’ 34-40 loss to the Queensland Reds last weekend for a high shoulder charge on Reds scrumhalf Tate McDermott.
Red for Damian McKenzie after making direct contact to the head 🟥
Start your free trial of the Stan Sport add-on now.#REDvCHI #SuperRugbyTT pic.twitter.com/eCuCJgu4Ae
— StanSportAU (@StanSportAU) May 29, 2021
The SANZAAR judiciary panel upheld the red card and suspended McKenzie until June 19, ruling him out of any more Super Rugby matches this season.
The punishment would have been six weeks but McKenzie’s early guilty plea and good disciplinary record earned him a discount.
Otherwise, McKenzie would have been out until July 10, missing New Zealand’s one-off Test against Tonga and the first match of a two-Test series against Fiji.
The backline star has been in superb form in Super Rugby and is likely to add to his 27 Test caps when the All Blacks face the Pacific islanders.
