Sharks scrumhalf Grant Williams has been suspended for the next four matches after receiving a red card in the United Rugby Championship (URC) match against the Bulls.
Williams was sent off in the second half of the Sharks’ win against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria after referee AJ Jacobs judged that he had made dangerous head-on-head contact in a tackle on Chris Smith.
The tackle resulted in the Bulls flyhalf having to be stretchered off the field.
The disciplinary panel of Pamela Woodman (chairperson, Scotland), Nigel Williams (Wales) and Shane O’Driscoll (Ireland) considered all the evidence and concluded that the referee’s decision to issue the red card was not wrong and upheld the red card.
Given that the panel found that Williams’s actions were reckless, they determined that the entry point be mid-range, which carries a suspension of six weeks.
Williams did not accept that he had committed an act of foul play nor that it warranted a red card.
However, the panel considered that his previous good record, his apology to his opponent and exemplary behaviour during the process entitled him to mitigation.
Accordingly, the sanction was reduced by two weeks. As a result, Williams has been banned for four weeks.
This ban will include two games in the Currie Cup and two games in the URC. He is free to play from midnight on Sunday, March 13, 2022. – sarugbymag.com
Matches scheduled during Williams’ suspension:
URC: Benetton Rugby v Sharks (February 26)
Currie Cup: Pumas v Sharks (March 4)
URC: Sharks v Scarlets (March 11)
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