Fiji Drua’s Frank Lomani and Jone Koroiduadua have found out their bans after red cards in the self destruction against the Rebels.
Test No.9 Lomani has been banned for six weeks for his elbow to the head of Rebels forward Josh Canham that left a bloody wound on his rival. While SANZAAR handed down the two punishments there was still no word on their investigation into allegations that Lomani was racially abused by a crowd member after his red card.
Koroiduadua was suspended for two weeks after a glancing headbutt on Rebel Alex Mafi as the Drua collapsed in the second half of the 40-21 loss in Melbourne.
The Super Rugby Pacific Foul Play Review Committee found Lomani guilty of contravening Law 9.12: “A player must not physically abuse anyone. Physical abuse includes, but is not limited to punching or striking with hand, arm (including stiff-arm tackle), elbow or shoulder.”
Frank Lomani of Fijian Drua leaves the field during the round seven Super Rugby Pacific match between Melbourne Rebels and Fijian Drua at AAMI Park, on April 05, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
The Fiji No.9 has been suspended from all forms of rugby until after May 26.
In his finding, FPRC Chairman Stephen Hardy ruled:
“Having conducted a detailed review of all the available evidence, including all camera angles and additional evidence, including from the player and submissions, the Foul Play Review Committee upheld the Red Card and found the Player to have contravened Law 9.12.
“The entry point for the offence was 10 weeks (assessed as Top-End range for intentional and deliberate physical abuse of striking with an elbow to the back of the victim player’s head and causing injury, where the victim player was in an incredibly vulnerable position with limited ability, if any, to defend himself). “
Although Lomani faced a 10 week suspension it was reduced to six due to entering an early guilty plea and what was described by the panel as “other relevant mitigating factors.”
“In providing the Player the Sanction, the Foul Play Review Committee emphasised that this sort of incident is not tolerated in any form of the game,” the panel said.
Koroiduadua of the Fijian Drua guilty of contravening Law 9.12 – “A player must not physically abuse anyone. Physical abuse includes, but is not limited to striking with head.”
He has been suspended from all forms of the game until after April 27.
Damon Murphy shows the red card to Jone Koroiduadua of Fijian Drua during the round seven Super Rugby Pacific match between Melbourne Rebels and Fijian Drua at AAMI Park, on April 05, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Jone Koroiduadua been suspended from all forms of the game up to and including 27 April 2024
Chairman Stephen Hardy ruled: :
“Having conducted a detailed review of all the available evidence, including all camera angles and additional evidence, including from the player and submissions, and World Rugby’s Head Contact Process, the Foul Play Review Committee upheld the Red Card and found the Player to have contravened Law 9.12.
“The FPRC deemed the act of foul play merited a low-end entry point of 6 weeks primarily given that the Player and victim player were “head to head” prior to the incident, and that the Player’s head appears to have made limited contact with the head of the victim player and rather made contact with the chest area of the victim player. There was also no injury to the victim player.”
“The Foul Play Review Committed emphasised that had there been more forceful head contact made, the entry point may well have been higher than low-end.”
“The entry point for the offence is 6 weeks.”
The Fijian received a discount of three weeks for entering an early guilty plea and “other relevant mitigating factors including the player’s otherwise unblemished disciplinary record” and a further one as well.
The [panel stated: “Further, where a matter is determined to be low-end offending, there are off-field mitigating factors, and the sanction would be wholly disproportionate to the level and type of offending involved, a sanction below 50% of the sanction may apply. To that end, the Foul Play Review Committee considered a sanction of 3 weeks would have been wholly disproportionate to the level and type of offending involved, and applied a further reduction of 1 week to the sanction, resulting in a total sanction of 2 weeks.”