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URC statement: Coetzee, Protheroe banned after their red cards
By Liam Heagney
Bulls’ Marcell Coetzee and Ospreys’ Mathew Protheroe have received the same length of suspension following their URC red cards last weekend. Former Springboks back-rower Coetzee was sent off in Edinburgh for a dangerous tackle and his three-game suspension will be cut to two if he successfully completes World Rugby tackle school.
The outcome was likewise for ex-England U-20s player Protheroe, who saw red at Dragons. His red card similarly resulted in a three-game ban that can be reduced to two via the coaching intervention programme.
A statement read: “After an act of foul play by Vodacom Bulls’ No6 (Marcell Coetzee), referee Chris Busby showed a red card in the 42nd minute of the game. In the player’s response to the independent disciplinary committee (Ben Rutherford, chair, IRFU, Donal Courtney, IRFU, Jan Gedrych, WRU), he accepted that he had committed an act of foul play but contested that it warranted a red card.
“The committee considered all of the evidence against the high contact process and found that the incident did meet the red card threshold, with entry of mid-range warranting six weeks.
"The player received three weeks mitigation due, in particular, to his previously exemplary disciplinary record which resulted in a three-game suspension. Should the player complete the World Rugby coaching intervention programme then the sanction will be reduced by one game.
“After an act of foul play by Ospreys’ No11 (Mathew Protheroe), referee Ben Whitehouse showed a red card in the 27th minute of the game. In the player’s response to the judicial officer (Rose Alice Murphy), he accepted he had committed an act of foul play which warranted a red card.
“Murphy found that the incident met the red card threshold, with the entry of mid-range warranting six weeks. The player received three weeks mitigation due to his good record and apology which resulted in a three-game suspension. Should the player complete the World Rugby coaching intervention programme then the sanction will be reduced by one game.”
Fixtures Coetzee is unavailable for:
Bulls vs Connacht, November 25 – URC;
Bulls vs Sharks, December 2 – URC;
Bulls vs Saracens, December 9 – Champions Cup.
The ban for the last game will be lifted with the successful completion of the World Rugby coaching intervention programme
Fixtures Protheroe is unavailable for:
Ospreys vs Scarlets, November 26 – URC
Benetton vs Ospreys, December 2 – URC
Ospreys vs Benetton, December 9 – Challenge Cup
The ban for the last game will be lifted with the successful completion of the World Rugby coaching intervention programme
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Latest Comments
Dont know if the Irish players said it or not, but lets all be honest with ourselves, and hopefully both the Irish and French have healed by now, the Media did jump the gun, be realistic, according to 90% of the media it was a France and Ireland final, and the media had 1 of them winning the world cup, not even mentioning the All blacks? Just remember world cups are different, Australia was not the most in form cricket tean in the last cricket world cup, but they have a nack of winning when it matters. I wont go into whether what Etzabeth is saying is true, all I am saying is that its very easy for a team to get ahead of themselves due to the media. Nothing wrong with it, the media got the springboks over confident against England and we nearly lost that one.
Go to commentsHey Finn, Well done to the Junior Wallabies…a win is a win but it was a wet and scrappy game. Would be interesting to hear your opinion on two things from watching the game at the Not So Sunny Coast Stadium. Firstly, what is your opinion on the rule change of being able to call The Mark from a kick off and what is the reason for the change? Secondly, your thoughts on the lack of action for the high tackle on the SA fullback. I understand the TMO ruled that he had fallen into the tackle and the tackler didn’t have time to adjust but it was clearly shoulder on head and the Aussie 11 had not made any attempt to adjust his tackle height leading into the tackle. In my opinion he was never going to get his tackle technique correct to complete a safe tackle. If that tackle was made at a more senior and more scrutinised level would we have seen the same result?
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