KANE HAMES SUSPENDED FOR ONE WEEK

Mar 31 • General News, Super Rugby • 1690 Views • Comments Off on KANE HAMES SUSPENDED FOR ONE WEEK

Player: Kane Hames
Team: Highlanders
Position: Prop
Date of Incident: 29 March 2014
Nature of Offence: Law 10.4 (h) Dangerous charging. A player must not charge into a ruck or maul. Charging includes any contact made without the use of arms, or without grasping a player.
Elapsed time in match when incident occurred: 59th minute

MEDIA RELEASE

The SANZAR Duty Judicial Officer Jannie Lubbe SC has accepted a guilty plea from Kane Hames of the Highlanders for contravening Law 10.4 (h) Dangerous charging, after he was cited during a Super Rugby match at the weekend.

Hames has been suspended from all forms of the game for one week up to and including 6 April 2014.

The incident occurred in the 59th minute of the match between the Blues and Highlanders at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday 29 March 2014.

SANZAR Duty Judicial Officer Jannie Lubbe SC assessed the case.

In his finding, Mr Lubbe ruled the following:

“Video evidence of the incident clearly showed that Hames entered the ruck without using his arms and made contact with the head/neck area of the Blues player in the process. The action was not carried out with great speed and/or excessive force and I agree with the submission of Mr Rob Harris on behalf of the player that the player clumsily executed the clearing action at the ruck without direct intent to harm his opponent.

“I also agree with the Citing Commissioner’s assessment that the Blues player was in a vulnerable position on the ground and was exposed to risk.

“The player is a young man with a clean record and fortunately the Blues player suffered no serious injury according to the medical report filed. The incident was categorised at low entry level. The player pleaded guilty and accepted the sanction of one week which was reduced from two weeks due to the player’s record and plea.

“Accordingly, the player is suspended from all forms of the game up to and including 6 April 2014.”

All SANZAR disciplinary matters are in the first instance referred to a Duty Judicial Officer hearing to provide the option of expediting the judicial process.

For a matter to be dispensed with at this hearing, the person appearing must plead guilty and accept the penalty offered by the DJO.