JUDICIAL HEARING NEWS RELEASE

Mar 9 • General News, Super Rugby • 1552 Views • Comments Off on JUDICIAL HEARING NEWS RELEASE

Hearing Details: 9 March 2015 @ 6pm AEDT, 5pm AEST, 8pm NZDT, 9am SAST via videoconference
Judicial Hearing Chairman: Adam Casselden
Player: Chris Kuridrani
Team: Reds
Position: Wing
Date of Incident: 7 March 2015
Nature of Offence: 10.4 (g) Dangerous charging. A player must not charge or knock down an opponent carrying the ball without trying to grasp that player
Elapsed time in match when incident occurred: 21st minute

SANZAR NEWS RELEASE

Chris Kuridrani Citing Upheld

A SANZAR Judicial Hearing has found Chris Kuridrani of the Reds guilty of contravening Law 10.4 (g) Dangerous charging, after he was cited following a Super Rugby match at the weekend.

No sanction has been imposed on the player.

The incident occurred in the 21st minute of the match between the Reds and Waratahs at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on 7 March 2015.

The SANZAR Judicial Hearing was heard by Adam Casselden via video conference at 6pm AEDT, 5pm AEST, 8pm NZDT, 9am SAST on 9 March. Mike Mika was the former professional player who attended as a Judicial Technical Adviser.

In his finding, Casselden ruled the following:

“After hearing from the player and his counsel, Mr Mark Martin QC and watching the video footage a number of times, I was satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the player committed the act of foul play that was the subject of the citing by charging or knocking down an opponent carrying the ball without trying to grasp that player.

“In assessing the seriousness of the foul play, I came to the conclusion that the offending was at the lower end. Having regard to the range of off-field mitigating factors submitted to me by Mr Martin QC, including the player’s unblemished disciplinary record, it was therefore appropriate, in my opinion, to invoke Regulation 17.19.7 (see below).

“In my opinion, to impose a suspension on the player would have been wholly disproportionate to the level and type of offending in this case. In reaching that conclusion I also took into account the action taken during the match in respect of the foul play by the match officials.

“As a result I found the citing complaint alleging a breach of 10.4 (g) to be made out and that the appropriate outcome was that no sanction should be imposed on the player.”

Regulation 17.19.7
In cases involving offending that has been classified pursuant to Regulation 17.19.2 as lower end offending, where:

(a) there are off-field mitigating factors; and

(b) where the Disciplinary Committee or Judicial Officer considers that the sanction would be wholly disproportionate to the level and type of offending involved; the Disciplinary Committee or Judicial Officer may apply sanctions less than 50% of the lower end entry sanctions specified in Appendix 1 including in appropriate cases no sanction.