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Juan Imhoff has received a five-week suspension following the conclusion of a disciplinary hearing in London on Wednesday. The Racing 92 winger was sent off by referee Wayne Barnes for a headbutt on Castres scrumhalf Rory Kockott in a bizarre incident during the Champions Cup match between the two sides on Saturday.
The decision in its entirety can be seen below:
Law 10.4 (a) Striking with the head
Under World Rugby’s Sanctions for Foul Play, Law 10.4 (a) carries the following sanction entry points – Low End: 4 weeks; Mid-Range: 10 weeks; Top End: 16 to 104 weeks.
An independent Disciplinary Committee consisting of Gareth Graham (England), Chairman, Rod McKenzie (Scotland) and Leon Lloyd (England) heard evidence and submissions from Imhoff, who pleaded guilty to the offence, from the player’s legal representative, Francois Berbinau, and from the EPCR Disciplinary Officer, Liam McTiernan. The Racing 92 Chief Executive, Julien Albinet, also attended.
The Committee upheld the red card decision and found that the offence was at the mid-range of World Rugby’s sanctions and selected 10 weeks as the appropriate entry point.
There were no aggravating factors and the Committee reduced the sanction by the maximum of 50 per cent due to the player’s guilty plea and clear disciplinary record before imposing a suspension of five weeks.
Imhoff is free to play on 22 January 2018, and both he and EPCR have the right to appeal the decision.
