Nabura banned for six weeks for kick
Rookie Highlanders wing Tevita Nabura has been suspended for six weeks after kicking Waratahs wing Cameron Clark in the face.
Nabura was red carded in the 19th minute of last weekend’s 41-12 loss to the Waratahs in Sydney, after he came down with a high ball and collected Clark in the face with his boot.
The Sanzaar foul play committee accepted a guilty plea from Nabura for contravening Law 9.12: kicking, suspending him for six weeks, up to and including July 6.
Committee chairman Nigel Hampton, who assessed the case with Stefan Terblanch and John Langford, said the foul play merited a top-end entry point of 12 weeks due to Nabura making contact with Clark’s head.
‘‘As it is required to do, the committee assessed that, given the comparative lack of force of the actual contact to the head and the lack of any injury to the other player, the entry point should remain at 12 weeks.
‘‘However, taking into account mitigating factors including the player’s excellent record, his remorse, his inexperience and his guilty plea at the first available opportunity, the foul play review committee reduced the suspension by 50 per cent to a sanction of six weeks.’’
Nabura, who was making just his third Super Rugby start, was seen as an inexperienced player making a misguided effort to both try and regain balance in the air, and warding off the approaching player, Hampton said in a statement.
The 25-year-old Fijian-born wing’s judicial hearing was originally slated for Sunday night, at the same time as Crusaders prop Owen Franks was handed a two-week ban for striking.
However, Nabura requested his hearing be delayed while he flew back to New Zealand from Sydney.
Tevita Li has replaced Nabura on the left-wing for the Highlanders’ match against the Reds in Brisbane tonight.
Nabura was the first Highlander to be red carded since Jason Emery in 2016.