Springbok veteran lock Eben Etzebeth may have to wait until at least Sunday to learn his fate following his alleged eye-gouge of Wales loose forward Alex Mann last Saturday.
This comes after a World Rugby disciplinary panel reportedly failed to reach agreement on what punishment the 34-year-old should face for his indiscretion.
World Rugby would presumably also not want the news to overshadow its draw for Rugby World Cup 2027 which is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 3 December at 11:00 (SA time).
No decision reached
According to Netwerk24, the hearing – which began at 19:00 on Tuesday and wrapped close to midnight – ended without a decision having been reached.
The panel reportedly requested additional time amid reports of a major disagreement over the severity of the sanction.
Eben Etzebeth was dismissed with two minutes remaining in the Test after clashing with Welsh flanker Alex Mann in a heated scuffle involving several players.
During a consultation with the TMO, French referee Luc Ramos ruled that Etzebeth had made clear contact with Mann’s left eye.
“You have a clear finger in the eyes, so for me, it’s a permanent red card,” Ramos said during the review.
World Rugby’s sanctions for eye-gouging range widely:
- Low-end offence: 4 weeks
- Mid-range: 8 weeks
- Top-end: 12 weeks
- Maximum for intentional contact: Up to 4 years
Mitigating factors – such as Etzebeth’s relatively good disciplinary record and reports that he apologised to Mann after the match – may reduce any sanction.
However, if the panel rules that the act was intentional, a substantial ban appears unavoidable.
The incident comes at a critical time for Etzebeth’s club, the Sharks, who kick off their Champions Cup campaign against Toulouse on Sunday, 7 December before hosting Saracens the following week.
Rassie Erasmus: “It didn’t look good”
Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus did not defend Etzebeth’s actions.
“It didn’t look good, I think it was a justified red card,” Erasmus admitted.
“How it happened and why it happened, and if he was provoked, I’m not sure. But that’s definitely not the way we would have liked to end the game.”
Context: Previous Eye-Contact Cases
The sport has seen several similar incidents in recent years:
- Makazole Mapimpi, Etzebeth’s Sharks and Springbok team-mate, received a three-match ban in January for making contact with the eye area of a Cardiff player. He was previously suspended for two weeks in 2023 for a similar offence.
- In April, Henco Venter (Glasgow Warriors) was banned for six weeks for making contact with Dan Cole’s eye area in a Champions Cup match.
- High-profile past cases include Chris Ashton (10-week ban in 2016) and Dylan Hartley, who received a six-month suspension in 2007.
Eben Etzebeth’s hearing will determine whether his latest disciplinary setback becomes one of the more severe sanctions in modern rugby.
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