ABSA Currie Cup – Francois Uys & Ryno Venter suspended for two weeks
Toyota Free State Cheetahs lock is out for two weeks after being found guilty of headbutting a Griquas player. Photo by Morgan Piek /Rugby15.
Toyota Free State Cheetahs lock Francois Uys has been suspended from all rugby for two weeks after a SARU disciplinary hearing found him guilty of striking an opponent with the head in the face.
Uys was cited by the citing commissioner, Mr Freek Burger, for breach of Law 10.4 (a) in that he allegedly struck a GWK Griquas player with the head in their encounter on Saturday, 25 August in Kimberley.
He pleaded guilty but denied that contact was made with the face of the opponent as stated in the report by the citing commissioner.
In the disciplinary hearing that was conducted in Bloemfontein on 28 August, advocate Jannie Lubbe SC found the player guilty of the offence. In his sentencing Lubbe found no aggravating circumstances to increase the recommended sanction of four week as a deterrent.
He did found compelling mitigating circumstances, amongst them the player being a first-time offender who pleaded guilty and has shown true remorse. A suspension of two weeks was deemed the appropriate sanction and Uys is not allowed to play any rugby for the period from 25 August up to 8 September 2012.
Meanwhile, Griffons Under-21 flyhalf, Ryno Venter, was also suspended for two weeks after he was found guilty of a dangerous tackle during an incident against Griquas Under-21 at Kimberley on Saturday, 25 August.
Venter pleaded guilty and advocate Lubbe SC handed him a two-week suspension. Because the player was a first-time offender, still young with a clean record and showed true remorse, the recommended four week suspension was halved to two weeks and he therefore cannot play again until after 8 September 2012.
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