Springbok Eben Etzebeth banned for 12 weeks for eye gouge on Alex Mann
Springbok centurion Eben Etzebeth has been banned for 12 weeks for his eye gouge on Wales flanker Alex Mann.
The 34-year-old made contact with Mann’s eye at the end of South Africa’s 0-73 victory over Wales, as tensions spilled over.
Etzebeth had come off the bench to make his 141th Springbok appearance, extending his record as his nation’s most capped player, but was shown a straight red card in the 79th minute by French referee Luc Ramos.
It was his first red card in 141 internationals for South Africa and means he will miss matches for his club Sharks, who play in the United Rugby Championship and European Champions Cup, until the end of March 2026.
An independent disciplinary panel met on Tuesday, but took an extra 24 hours deliberation to decide on a sanction.
It was an independent panel deciding Etzebeth’s fate as the game was played outside of World Rugby’s international window, and therefore under the purview of a Six Nations disciplinary committee, operating under the Quilter Nations Series.
Led by Christopher Quinlan KC, the panel found that contact with the eye was intentional and a “mid-range” entry point of 18 weeks was appropriate. Mitigating factors including the player’s previous record meant that was reduced to 12 weeks.
Etzebeth was the third South African forward to be shown a red card in four matches this autumn after Franco Mostert, against Italy, and Lood de Jaeger against France.
Mostert’s red was later rescinded by a disciplinary panel and downgraded to a yellow.
World Rugby’s sanctions for eye-gouging – described as “intentional contact with the eyes” – run from a ban ranging from 12 weeks at the low end, to a maximum of four years.
Bans for “reckless contact with the eyes” can range from six weeks to four years. Bans for “contact with the eye area” range from four weeks to one year.
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