Foul-mouthed Baby Bok banned

DISCIPLINARY UPDATE: South Africa Under-20 hooker Tiaan van der Merwe has been slapped with a six-week ban for a vile and foul-mouthed rant at the World Rugby junior championship.

Van der Merwe appeared before a disciplinary committee – Jean-Noël Couraud (France), chairman, former Scotland player Beth Dickens and former Wales player Jamie Corsi – in Perpignan this past week.

He was cited by commissioner John Montgomery (Scotland) for verbal abuse – in breach of Law 9.12 – in the 50th minute of their semifinal against England on June 12 in Narbonne.

Van der Merwe accepted that he had verbally abused an opponent in breach of Law 9.12.

The Committee received evidence from the player, the match referee Daniel Jones (Wales) and England players as well as listening to the referee microphone audio and hearing submissions from the player’s counsel Adrian Montzinger.

The committee found that the player had verbally abused an opponent (without any racial element) and determined that this was mid-range offending which carries a 12-week entry point.

There were no aggravating factors and mitigating factors – including the player’s early acceptance of his conduct which permitted the maximum discount of 50 percent, resulting in a six-week sanction.

The player was suspended for the third-place match at the championship and his next five effective weeks of rugby on his return to South Africa.

Based on his match schedule he is free to play again on 20 August.

The player has 48 hours in which to appeal.