Here are the details of the independent disciplinary hearings following Round 5 HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP Red Card – Tudor Stroe (Castres Olympique) The Castres Olympique replacement prop, Tudor Stroe (No 17), was issued with a red card during his club’s Heineken Champions Cup, Round 5 match against Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park on Sunday, 13 January 2019. Stroe was sent off by the referee, George Clancy (Ireland), in the 59^th minute of the match for striking the Exeter Chiefs centre, Ollie Devoto (No 12), with his arm in contravention of Law 9.12. Gareth Graham (England), Chair, Leon Lloyd (England) and Frank Hadden (Scotland) have been appointed as the independent Disciplinary Committee for the hearing which will take place in Paris tomorrow (Wednesday, 16 January). Law 9.12 Striking with the arm Under World Rugby’s Sanctions for Foul Play, Law 9.12 carries the following sanction entry points - Low End: 2 weeks; Mid-range: 6 weeks; Top end: 10 to 52 weeks. CHALLENGE CUP Citing complaint – Nicolas Lemaire (Perpignan) EPCR has received a citing complaint against the Perpignan replacement prop, Nicolas Lemaire (No 19), arising from his club's Challenge Cup, Round 5 match against Bordeaux-Bègles at Stade Aimé Giral on Friday, 11 January 2019. Lemaire is alleged to have committed an act of foul play by tackling the Bordeaux-Bègles wing, Nicolas Plazy (No 14), in a dangerous lifting manner in the 62^nd minute of the match in contravention of Law 9.18. The player was shown a yellow card by match referee, Karl Dickson (England), following the incident. Gareth Graham (England), Chair, Leon Lloyd (England) and Frank Hadden (Scotland) have been appointed as the independent Disciplinary Committee for the hearing which will take place in Paris tomorrow (Wednesday, 16 January). The complaint was made by the match Citing Commissioner, Wayne Sheridan (Ireland). Law 9.18 A player must not lift an opponent off the ground and drop or drive that player so that their head and/or upper body make contact with the ground Under World Rugby’s Sanctions for Foul Play, Law 9.18 carries the following sanction entry points - Low End: 6 weeks; Mid-range: 10 weeks; Top end: 14 to 52 weeks. CONTINENTAL SHIELD Red Card – Umberto Casellato (Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo) The Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo coach, Umberto Casellato, was issued with a red card during his club’s Continental Shield, Round 5 match against Argos Rugby Petrarca at the Argos Arena on Saturday, 12 January 2019. Casellato was ordered to leave the playing area by the referee, Shota Tevzadze (Georgia), for verbally abusing the Argos Rugby Petrarca scrum half, Jeremy Su’a (No 9), during the second half of the match in contravention of Law 9.12. Jean-Noel Couraud (France), Chair, Frank Hadden (Scotland) and Achille Reali (Italy) have been appointed as the independent Disciplinary Committee for the hearing which will take place in Paris tomorrow (Wednesday, 16 January). Law 9.12 Verbal abuse Under World Rugby’s Sanctions, Law 9.12 relating to verbal abuse carries the following sanction entry points - Low End: 6 weeks; Mid-range: 12 weeks; Top end: 18 to 52 weeks. Citing complaint – Romulo Acosta (Argos Rugby Petrarca) EPCR has received a citing complaint against the Argos Rugby Petrarca prop, Romulo Acosta (No 1), following his club’s Continental Shield, Round 5 match against Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo at the Argos Arena on Saturday, 12 January 2019. Acosta is alleged to have spat at the Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo wing, Massimo Cioffi (No 11), at the conclusion of the match in contravention of Law 9.27. Jean-Noel Couraud, Chair, Frank Hadden (Scotland) and Julien Berenger (France) have been appointed as the independent Disciplinary Committee for the hearing which will take place in Paris tomorrow (Wednesday, 16 January). The complaint was made by the match Citing Commissioner, Gabriele Pezzano (Italy). Law 9.27 Spitting Under World Rugby’s Sanctions, Law 9.27 relating to spitting carries the following sanction entry points - Low End: 4 weeks; Mid-range: 8 weeks; Top end: 12 to 52 weeks. Notes (i) Red Cards a) The case of any player sent off in Heineken Champions Cup, Challenge Cup and Continental Shield 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 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 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 world.rugby