It's happened again... a three-week lay-off is once more the punishment for a red card

Cheetahs’ Dries Swanepoel has been banned for a period of three weeks as a result of his red card in the Guinness PRO14 round four fixture with Connacht on October 26.

Swanepoel was shown a red card last weekend in Galway by referee Ben Whitehouse under Law 9.11 – players must not do anything that is reckless or dangerous to others.

PRO14's disciplinary hearing was handled by Roddy Dunlop (Scotland) and it was accepted that the player’s actions warranted a red card for foul play. The incident was deemed to be a mid-range offence which carries a six-week suspension.

Swanepoel’s immediate acceptance of culpability, his previous clean disciplinary record and remorse shown warranted application of 50 per cent mitigation which brings his ban to three weeks.

The player is free to resume playing from midnight on Sunday, December 1 as the Cheetahs are scheduled to play three matches between November 2 and November 30. 

Swanepoel's three-week lay-off mirrors the punishments generally handed down to red-carded players at the World Cup in Japan and to Benetton’s Marco Lazzaroni following his red card against Ospreys on October 12.

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