HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP

Red card – Jacob Umaga (Wasps)

The Wasps full back, Jacob Umaga (No 15), was issued with a red card during his club’s Heineken Champions Cup, Round 3 match against Stade Toulousain at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Saturday, 15 January 2022.

Umaga was sent off by the referee, Chris Busby (Ireland), in the 33rd minute of the match for tackling the Stade Toulousain scrum half, Martin Page Relo (No 9), in a dangerous manner in contravention of Law 9.13.

Roddy Dunlop QC (Scotland), Chair, Tony Wheat (Ireland) and Olly Kohn (Wales) have been appointed as the independent Disciplinary Committee for the hearing which will take place by video conference this evening (Tuesday, 18 January).

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 – Masivesi Dakuwaqa (Montpellier Hérault Rugby)

The Montpellier Hérault Rugby flanker, Masivesi Dakuwaqa (No 6), was issued with a red card during his club’s Heineken Champions Cup, Round 3 match against Leinster Rugby at the RDS Arena on Sunday, 16 January 2022.

Dakuwaqa was sent off by the referee, Wayne Barnes (England), in the 67th minute of the match for tackling the Leinster Rugby flanker, Josh Van der Flier (No 7), in a dangerous manner in contravention of Law 9.13.

Sean Enright (England), Chair, John Carroll (Ireland) and Becky Essex (England) have been appointed as the independent Disciplinary Committee for the hearing which will take place by video conference tomorrow (Wednesday, 19 January).

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 – Alex Cuthbert (Ospreys)

EPCR has received a citing complaint against the Ospreys wing, Alex Cuthbert (No 14), arising from his club’s Heineken Champions Cup, Round 3 match against Racing 92 at the Swansea.com Stadium on Saturday, 15 January 2022.

Cuthbert is alleged to have tackled the Racing 92 hooker, Teddy Baubigny (No 2), in a dangerous manner in the sixth minute of the match in contravention of Law 9.13.

Daniel White (England), Chair, Mike Ross (Ireland) and Leon Lloyd (England) have been appointed as the independent Disciplinary Committee for the hearing which will take place by video conference on Thursday (20 January).

The complaint was made by the match Citing Commissioner, Peter Ferguson (Ireland).

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.

EPCR CHALLENGE CUP

Red card – Agustin Creevy (London Irish)

The London Irish hooker, Agustin Creevy (No 2), was issued with a red card during his club’s EPCR Challenge Cup, Round 3 match against Edinburgh Rugby at Brentford Community Stadium on Saturday, 15 January 2022.

Creevy was sent off by the referee, Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy), in the 57th minute of the match for making contact with the head of the Edinburgh Rugby flanker, Jamie Ritchie (No 7), in a dangerous manner in contravention of Law 9.11.

Tommy Dalton (Ireland), Chair, Pamela Woodman (Scotland) and Valeriu Toma (Romania) have been appointed as the independent Disciplinary Committee for the hearing which will take place by video conference tomorrow (Wednesday, 19 January).

Law 9.11 Players must not do anything that is reckless or dangerous to others
Under World Rugby’s Sanctions for Foul Play, Law 9.11 carries the following sanction entry points - Low End: 2 weeks; Mid-range: 6 weeks; Top end: 10 to 52 weeks.

Citing complaint – Mike Brown (Newcastle Falcons)

EPCR has received a citing complaint against the Newcastle Falcons full back, Mike Brown (No 15), arising from his club’s EPCR Challenge Cup, Round 3 match against Biarritz Olympique at Parc des Sports Aguiléra on Friday, 14 January 2022.

Brown is alleged to have tackled the Biarritz Olympique wing, Darly Domvo (No 11), in a dangerous manner in the 64th minute of the match in contravention of Law 9.13.

Jean-Noel Couraud (France), Chair, Donal Courtney (Ireland) and Marcello d’Orey (Portugal) have been appointed as the independent Disciplinary Committee for the hearing which will take place by video conference this evening (Tuesday, 18 January).

The complaint was made by the match Citing Commissioner, Jay Curts (Mexico).

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.

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

See below details of disciplinary hearings.