Rugby
ESPN staff 6y

Super Rugby: Highlanders winger Tevita Nabura gets six-week ban for fly kick

Rugby, Super Rugby

Highlanders winger Tevita Nabura will spend six weeks on the sidelines after his SANZAAR judiciary hearing finally took place.

Nabura received the ban, which was reduced from 12 weeks due to a number of factors, for a kick to the head of NSW winger Cameron Clark during the Waratahs' 41-12 victory over the Highlanders last weekend.

Leaping into the air to catch a Waratahs' high ball, Nabura looked straight at Clark before extending his right boot into the jaw of the chasing winger.

SANZAAR'S judiciary committee saw the incident as a "misguided" action on the part of an individual playing just his third Super Rugby game.

"Having conducted a detailed review of all the available evidence, including all camera angles, and a statement from the player and submissions from his legal representative, Aaron Lloyd, the Foul Play Review Committee upheld the Red Card under Law 9.12 (physical abuse - kicking)," Foul Play Review Committee Chairman Nigel Hampton QC said.

"The player's action was seen by the Committee as a misguided effort by an inexperienced player to both try and regain balance whilst in the air and ward off the approaching opposing player."

The entry point for Nabura's action was 12 weeks but it was reduced by 50 percent due to his early guilty plea, inexperience and other "mitigating factors".

"With respect to sanction the Foul Play Review Committee deemed the act of foul play merited a top-end entry point of 12 weeks due to the contact with the opposition player's head," Hampton's ruling read. "As it is required to do, the Committee assessed that, given the comparative lack of force of the actual contact to the head and the lack of any injury to the other player, the entry point should remain at 12 weeks.

"However, taking into account mitigating factors including the Player's excellent record, his remorse, his inexperience and his guilty plea at the first available opportunity, the Foul Play Review Committee reduced the suspension by 50% to a sanction of 6 weeks."

Nabura will be available for the Highlanders' final regular season game against the Rebels.

^ Back to Top ^