Share

Canada lock banned after seeing red against Boks

Cape Town - Canada lock Josh Larsen has received a three week ban following his red card in their 66-7 Rugby World Cup loss to South Africa in Kobe.

WATCH | Canadian lock visits Boks to apologise for red card

Larsen was sent off in the 35th minute of Tuesday's clash after dangerously barging into Springbok prop Thomas du Toit at a ruck.

According to the Rugby World Cup's official website, Larsen attended a disciplinary hearing in Tokyo on Thursday where he was found guilty of foul play.

He appeared before an independent Judicial Committee chaired by Wang Shao Ing (Singapore lawyer and former international player), with former referees Donal Courtney (Ireland) and Valeriu Toma (Romania) also present.

Larsen admitted the act of foul play and that his actions warranted a red card.

The committee considered that the terms of High Tackle Sanction Framework were relevant and accepted the player’s admission that:

- There was a shoulder charge
- There was direct contact of the player’s left shoulder to his opponent’s head and neck
- There are no mitigating factors

The committee upheld the red card and applied World Rugby's mandatory minimum mid-range entry point, which was introduced in 2017 to protect player welfare.

It resulted in a starting point of a six-week suspension, however, mitigating factors - which included the player's clean disciplinary record - saw the ban reduced to three weeks.

Larsen will now miss Canada's final pool match against Namibia on October 13 and his first two matches for his new club, the New England Free Jacks, in the 2020 Major League Rugby season.

- Compiled by Herman Mostert

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE