Fijian banned for 20 weeks after biting rival
A HEFTY 20-week ban has been slapped on Fijian earbiter Samu Suguturaga, who has joined one of sport’s most infamous clubs beside former boxer Mike Tyson.
A judiciary hearing in Brisbane on Tuesday night dealt out the punishment for the act against Brisbane City hooker Andrew Ready in Saturday’s National Rugby Championship match at Ballymore.
Ready reeled out of a firsthalf scrum clutching his right ear which was freshly bleeding and instantly reported the incident to referee Damon Murphy.
Suguturaga was cited and pleaded guilty when the Fijian Drua forward faced judicial officer Paul Tully at Ballymore on Tuesday night.
Tully had the benefit of being a former hooker himself which gave him extra insight into how Ready’s right ear might have been chomped in the shifting, close contact of two front rows in a scrum.
Ready had indicated postmatch that the City scrum had been marching forward and he felt the opposition forward latch on to his ear.
He required stitches and head bandaging to finish the game when several red marks were still evident.