Cocagi banned for 9 weeks
Paris: A French club’s centre has been banned for nine weeks for a ‘top end offence’ after a shoulder charge on an Irish opponent in a European Challenge Cup rugby game. Fiji-born Adrea Cocagi contested the red card he received in Perpignan’s home game against Connacht last weekend.
The 24-year-old was sent off by English referee Ian Tempest in the 58th minute after striking Matt Healy with his shoulder while attempting a tackle on the Connacht wing. He faced a hearing conducted by European Professional Club Rugby in Paris yesterday. An independent disciplinary committee upheld the red card decision and found that as Cocagi had launched himself at speed at a prone opponent, it found that the act of foul play was at the top end of World Rugby’s sanctions. A top end offence generally attracts a ban of between 10 and 52 weeks, but the committee selected 10 weeks as the appropriate entry point.
An EPCR statement said: “There were no aggravating factors, however, as the player did not accept the red card decision and as he does not have a clear disciplinary record, the committee found that the sanction could only be reduced by one week (10 per cent) by way of mitigation before a nine-week suspension was imposed.”
Cocagi, who has the right of appeal, is free to play on March 4.
Meanwhile, Castres’ South Africa-born French test halfback Rory Kockott was banned for three weeks for making contact with the eye of Munster flanker Chris Cloete. The Irish Times reported Cloete - who was born in East London, like Kockott - drew the assistant referee’s attention to the incident in thes 21st minute, but no action was taken by the match officials.
Kockott was found guilty by an EPCR independent disciplinary committee, which ruled his “act of foul play was at the low end of World Rugby’s sanctions and four weeks was selected as the appropriate entry point. “Due to the player’s guilty plea and good conduct at the hearing, the committee decided to reduce the sanction by one week before imposing a three-week suspension.” Kockott can play again from January 7.