Andre Esterhuizen banned after Portugal red card

Springbok centre Andre Esterhuizen has been suspended for four matches after he was sent off in Saturday’s Test match against Portugal.

However, that suspension will be reduced to three matches should he complete the World Rugby Coaching Intervention Programme.

Esterhuizen received a yellow card in the third minute for a head-on-head tackle at the Free State Stadium.

It was later upgraded to a red card after the TMO bunker review system decision.

The player was left out of South Africa’s squad for the upcoming Rugby Championship.

The disciplinary committee hearing was chaired by Matthew Weaver (England) and joined by former player Jamie Corsi (Wales) and former international referee Valeriu Toma (Romania).

The player accepted that foul play had occurred and that the offence warranted a red card.

The committee considered the appropriate entry point for the offending and decided that the offence warranted the mandatory mid-end entry point for offending involving contact with the head of six matches.

Having considered the mitigating factors, the committee decided not to award a full 50 percent mitigation to the sanction resulting in a sanction of four matches.

An additional match may be removed from the sanction should the player complete the World Rugby Coaching Intervention for Sanction Mitigation (CISM) which applies to foul play involving head contact.

The player is therefore suspended for the following matches:

Sharks v Lions – July 27

Pumas v Sharks – August 3

Sharks v Griquas – August 11

Cheetahs v Sharks – August 17*

*Subject to the successful completion of the CISM.

The player has 48 hours to appeal from receipt of the full written decision.