Red card – Brad Shields (Wasps)

The Wasps second row, Brad Shields (No 4), was issued with a red card during his club’s Heineken Champions Cup, Round 1 match against Munster Rugby at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Sunday, 12 December 2021.

Shields was sent off by the match referee, Romain Poite (France), in the 26th minute for tackling the Munster prop, Dave Kilcoyne (No 1), in a dangerous manner in contravention of Law 9.13.

Marcello D’Oray (Portugal), Chair, Roger Morris (Wales) and Leon Lloyd (England) have been appointed as the independent Disciplinary Committee for the hearing which will take place by video conference this evening (Tuesday, 14 December).

Law 9.13 A player must not tackle an opponent dangerously
Under World Rugby’s Sanctions for Foul Play, Law 9.13 relating to dangerous tackling carries the following sanction entry points - Low End: 2 weeks; Mid-range: 6 weeks; Top end: 10 to 52 weeks.

Red card – Jacob Beetham (Cardiff Rugby)

The Cardiff Rugby full back, Jacob Beetham (No 15), was issued with a red card during his club’s Heineken Champions Cup, Round 1 match against Stade Toulousain at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday, 11 December 2021.

Beetham was sent off by the referee, Karl Dickson (England), in the 74th minute of the match for tackling the Stade Toulousain replacement, Antoine Miquel (No 21), in a dangerous manner in contravention of Law 9.13.

The independent Disciplinary Committee for the hearing, which will take place by video conference on Thursday (16 December), will be announced in due course.

Law 9.13 A player must not tackle an opponent dangerously
Under World Rugby’s Sanctions for Foul Play, Law 9.13 relating to dangerous tackling carries the following sanction entry points - Low End: 2 weeks; Mid-range: 6 weeks; Top end: 10 to 52 weeks.

Citing complaint – Will Muir (Bath Rugby)

EPCR has received a citing complaint against the Bath Rugby wing, Will Muir (No 11), arising from his club’s Heineken Champions Cup, Round 1 match against Leinster Rugby at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, 11 December 2021.

Muir is alleged to have made contact with the eye of the Leinster flanker, Josh Van der Flier (No 7), in the 14th minute of the match in contravention of Law 9.12.

Philippe Cavalieros (France), Chair, Val Toma (Romania) and Chris Watts (Wales) have been appointed as the independent Disciplinary Committee for the hearing which will take place by video conference tomorrow (Wednesday, 15 December).

The complaint was made by the match Citing Commissioner, Jeff Mark (Wales).

Law 9.12 A player must not physically abuse anyone. Physical abuse includes contact with the eye.
Under World Rugby’s Sanctions for Foul Play, Law 9.12, contact with the eye, carries the following sanction entry points - Low End: 6 weeks; Mid-range: 12 weeks; Top end: 18 to 208 weeks.

Citing complaint – Nick Schonert (Sale Sharks)

EPCR has received a citing complaint against the Sale Sharks prop, Nick Schonert (No 3), arising from his club’s Heineken Champions Cup, Round 1 match against the Ospreys on Sunday, 12 December 2021.

Schonert is alleged to have entered a maul dangerously making contact with the Ospreys prop, Gareth Thomas (No 1), above the line of the shoulder in the 38th minute of the match in contravention of Law 9.20 (b).

Owain Rhys James (Wales), Chair, Rod McKenzie (Scotland) and Tony Wheat (England) have been appointed as the independent Disciplinary Committee for the hearing which will take place by video conference tomorrow (Wednesday, 15 December).

The complaint was made by the match Citing Commissioner, John Montgomery (Scotland)

Law 9.20 (b) A player must not make contact with an opponent above the line of the shoulder at a ruck or maul.
Under World Rugby’s Sanctions for Foul Play, Law 9.20 (b) carries the following sanction entry points - Low End: 2 weeks; Mid-range: 4 weeks; Top end: 8 to 52 weeks.

EPCR CHALLENGE CUP

Citing complaint – Daniel Ramsay (Section Paloise)

EPCR has received a citing complaint against the Section Paloise second row, Daniel Ramsay (No 4), arising from his club’s EPCR Challenge Cup, Round 1 match against London Irish at the Stade du Hameau on Saturday, 11 December 2021.

Ramsay is alleged to have made contact with the eye of the London Irish second row (No 5), in the 44th minute of the match in contravention of Law 9.12.

Pat Barriscale (Ireland), Chair, Marcello d’Orey (Portugal) and David Humphreys (Ireland) have been appointed as the independent Disciplinary Committee for the hearing which will take place by video conference tomorrow (Wednesday, 15 December).

The complaint was made by the match Citing Commissioner, Gary Gordon (Scotland).

Law 9.12 A player must not physically abuse anyone. Physical abuse includes contact with the eye.
Under World Rugby’s Sanctions for Foul Play, Law 9.12, contact with the eye, carries the following sanction entry points - Low End: 6 weeks; Mid-range: 12 weeks; Top end: 18 to 208 weeks.

Notes

(i) Red Cards
a) The case of any player sent off in Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup matches shall be adjudicated by an independent Disciplinary Committee or an independent Judicial Officer as soon as is practicable.
b) Until the hearing the player is ineligible to play in any tournament.
(ii) Citing Commissioner
a) Citing Commissioners are appointed by EPCR for all Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup matches and shall be entitled to cite a player for any act or acts of Foul Play that in the Citing Commissioner's opinion warranted a red card.
b) For such matches, clubs will not have the power to cite a player but may refer incidents to the Citing Commissioner within 26 hours of the start of the match.
c) The Citing Commissioner will have 50 hours from the start of the match to make a citing. In certain circumstances this deadline can be extended.
d) The tournament Disciplinary Officer may forward the submitted citing to a Citing Officer to determine whether there are sufficient grounds for the citing to progress.
e) The Disciplinary Officer will then bring a charge against the cited player.
(iii) Disciplinary Hearing
a) The independent Disciplinary Committee or independent Judicial Officer are chosen by the chairman of the independent Disciplinary Panel, Mike Hamlin.
b) EPCR's Disciplinary Officer presents the case against the player.
c) If a decision is upheld, the Disciplinary Committee or Judicial Officer will be required to consider the appropriate sanction under World Rugby's sanctioning regime, which EPCR is obliged to follow. The seriousness of the player's actions will be first assessed in order to determine which of the three stipulated entry points (lower end, mid-range and top end) is the most appropriate.
d) The Disciplinary Committee or Judicial Officer will determine the appropriate entry point based on an assessment of a number of particular characteristics of the player's actions, including whether or not they were intentional, whether or not they caused any injuries and whether or not they had any effect on the relevant match.
e) After deciding the entry point, the Disciplinary Committee or Judicial Officer will then consider whether the suspension should be increased from the entry point to take account of certain specified aggravating factors, such as a poor disciplinary record or the need for deterrence, and/or decreased from the entry point to take account of certain specified mitigating actions, such as a guilty plea, a good disciplinary record, the player's conduct at the hearing and expressions of remorse.
f) A suspension is a blanket ban from playing rugby union anywhere in the world. Players are suspended on the basis that a one-week period of suspension would ordinarily result in a player missing one match. Suspensions take into account periods of inactivity (such as the close season), periods when a player is injured or otherwise not fit to play, and when a player is not available or not expected to play. Suspensions should also take into account any out-of-season matches which are not considered to be meaningful, or which are not close enough to the season to be a determining factor in a player’s future selection.
g) Both parties to the hearing (EPCR and the player) have the right to appeal decisions. Appeals must be lodged within three (3) working days of receiving the full written decision of the Disciplinary Committee or Judicial Officer.
h) The full written decision will be available on www.epcrugby.com/discipline/hearing-decisions when the disciplinary process is complete.
i) For World Rugby's Sanctions for Foul Play, found at Appendix 1 to World Rugby Regulation 17, go to www.world.rugby/organisation/governance/regulations/reg-17/appendix-1

HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP