France lock Sebastien Vahaamahina has received a ban as a result of the red card he picked up for elbowing Aaron Wainwright in the face.
Vahaamahina committed the offence during the second half of Wales’ narrow one-point win over France in the World Cup quarter-final at the weekend.
The 28-year-old announced his retirement from international rugby the day after the game but he will now have to wait a while until he can get back onto the pitch in the colours of Clermont Auvergne.
A disciplinary committee has banned Vahaamahina for six weeks. The original sanction was 10 weeks but due to mitigating factors, such as the admission of guilt and the immediate apology to Wainwright, it was reduced by four weeks.
Vahaamahina will miss his next six matches with his club Clermont Auvergne. Therefore the player is free to play again on 16 December, 2019.
“The committee considered that the terms of High Tackle Sanction Framework were relevant and accepted the player’s admission that:
- There was a strike
- There was direct contact between the player’s elbow and Aaron Wainwright’s jaw
- There are no mitigating factors
“The committee upheld the red card and considered this to be top-end offending. This resulted in a starting point of a 10-week suspension.
“Taking into account the mitigating factors that are considered in relation to sanction, including the player’s early and full acknowledgement of his conduct and prompt apology to his opponent, the committee reduced the 10-week entry point by four weeks, resulting in a sanction of six weeks.”
Vahaamahina will miss the following games:
Toulouse (Top 14), Harlequins (Champions Cup), Ulster (Champions Cup), Agen (Top 14), Bath (Champions Cup) and Bath (Champions Cup).
Read More About: 2019 Rugby World Cup, clermont auvergne, france rugby, Sébastien Vahaamahina, Top 14
