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Lions appeal suspension

Hennie Brandt - Beeld

Johannesburg - The Lions have appealed the suspension of one week dished out to loosehead prop Heinke van der Merwe.

However, the chances that he will be able to play in Saturday’s Super14 match against the Bulls at Coca-Cola Park are virtually nil because of a Sanzar rule.

Van der Merwe was suspended by judicial officer Dekker Govender of KwaZulu-Natal.

The hearing came after the citing commissioner, who also hails from KwaZulu-Natal, pointed out Van der Merwe and replacement back Jannie Boshoff for a spear tackle on Sharks inside centre Frans Steyn in Saturday’s Super14 match in Durban.

The Lions have been infuriated by Van der Merwe’s suspension. They say the incident occurred in front of referee Jonathan Kaplan. He did not think it was serious and allowed play to continue. This view was shared by two assistant referees.

The Lions on Wednesday sent a letter to Christo Ferreira, who is the secretary of the South African Rugby Union’s judicial committee. In the letter they appeal Van der Merwe’s suspension.

Mac Hendriks, manager of professional rugby at the Lions, said he asked for an appeal hearing before Saturday’s game.

However, the date of the hearing has to be determined by Sanzar, who have jurisdiction over the Super14.

“Sanzar’s rules determine that a suspended player may not play until his appeal hearing has been completed,” said Hendricks. 

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