Northern Edition
Select Edition
Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Centre who was banned for 13 weeks for 'foul' act exits Cheetahs for Brive

Cheetahs centre Nico Lee

The Cheetahs have lost one of their best players.

ADVERTISEMENT

French club Brive confirmed that they have signed centre Nico Lee, 25, from the Bloemfontein side.

Born in Pretoria, Lee came up through the ranks at the Cheetahs. He started in 2014 in the Vodacom Cup side before being promoted to the Currie Cup and Super Rugby sides.

In 2017, he was part of the Cheetahs team that joined Pro14 tournament.

Lee scored nine tries over the last two seasons of Pro14, scoring a hat-trick in an away game against the Southern Kings.

“Nico is a very physical centre. He will strengthen our backline for the next two seasons,” said Brive coach Jeremy Davidson.

Lee’s 2019 Pro14 season ended in February after he received a 13-week suspension for clearing the contents of his nose onto the face of Colby Fainga’a during the Cheetahs’ match against Connacht.

A panel at the time said: “The Player’s actions are an act of foul play. They have no place in the game. This is not a case of over-exuberance, or an act which is within the rules of the game going awry. It follows that by its nature this act is one that is deserving of punishment. It is contrary to the spirit of sport.”

ADVERTISEMENT

It was accepted that: “The effect on the victim player was understandably serious. There is no expectation, and there ought never be an expectation, that an opposing player would clear the contents of their nose onto an opponent.”

“It is difficult to imagine how an act of foul play of this sort could be worse, save for repeated acts or where actual injury is caused.”

Meanwhile, Mitch Lees is to leave Exeter Chiefs and will also be joining Brive ahead of the new 2019/20 season.

The 30-year-old Australian departs having spent the past five years at Sandy Park, where he has amassed 113 appearances, scoring eight tries in the process.

ADVERTISEMENT

Brought to the club during in 2014 from London Welsh, Lees quickly established himself as a prominent figure in the Chiefs pack.

Video Spacer
ADVERTISEMENT

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo vs Kubota Spears | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 Final | Full Match Replay

Saitama Wild Knights vs Kobe Steelers | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 Bronze Final | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 42 | Investec Champions Cup Final Review

Spain's Incredible Rugby Sevens Journey to the World Championship Final | HSBC SVNS Embedded | Episode 14

Australia vs USA | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

New Zealand vs Canada | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

South Africa vs New Zealand | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

The Game that Made Jonah Lomu

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

C
CO 1 hour ago
Whose ship has sailed before the first All Blacks squad?

Based on last weekend there should be no Hurricanes loose forwards in the mix, they all seemed poor with the Brumbies once again fantastic at playing and executing as a team. The Hurricanes were also poor in the halves with the ten invisible and Cam Roigard trying to play up tempo, Helter skelter rugby which is what the Brumbies wanted.


Roigards passing was telegraphic with his running game and sniping non existent, Ratima also appears to be getting metronomic, devoid of flair and his ten went invisible as well.


If you can't step up at finals then you need to be punished, yes the blues were poor at times this season but they were right on either the last two games when it really matters.


CWL is a bit larger but both him and Lakai are down on size for an eight and aren't freaks like Savea. Sotutu has to be in the mix and Dalton, but only if they front this Friday night.


However six is an ongoing issue, Josh Beehre could be an answer to the lack of height in the loose forwards at Allblacks level, his driving try to ice the contest through a decent Chiefs pack was raw determination even with support.


As for the previous try being ruled out on the flimsiest of technicalities that highlighted everything wrong with the TMO, it wasn't ‘rabbiting’, his knees dropped one after the other and he then brought his shoulders forward to extend and score, big guys can do that, that's why Sotutu has to be in the mix.


Sititi looked short of a gallop and the Chiefs might be acting a bit too cute with their bench, the coach is saying all the right things but he's in the departure lounge and the signs are there that the Chiefs expected to be the best team in finals simply because they had the best bench.


They're now under the pump and the winner of this year's super final will almost certainly be whoever wins this Friday in Christchurch.

12 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Can Glasgow banish their Dublin ghosts? Can Glasgow banish their Dublin ghosts?
Search