SA rugby chief’s two-month ban

RASSIE Erasmus has been found guilty on all six charges and completely banned from rugby for two months.

The South Africa director of rugby will also be forbidden to take part in any matchday activities, including coaching and media duties, until September 30, 2022.

The long-awaited verdict comes four months after Erasmus launched an unprecedented grenade with an astonishing hour-long video rant at the officials in the opening Lions Test against the Springboks.

He has now been ordered to issue an apology to those officials by an independent disciplinary committee.

The charges were:

Threatened a match official that unless a requested meeting took place, he would publish footage containing clips criticising the match official’s performance and then making good on that threat.

Published or permitted to be published the Erasmus Video containing numerous comments that were either abusive, insulting and/or offensive to match officials.

Attacked, disparaged and/or denigrated the game and the match officials.

Did not accept or observe the authority and decisions of match officials.

Published or caused to be published criticism of the manner in which a match official handled a match.

Engaged in conduct or activity that may impair public confidence in the integrity and good character of match official(s) and brought the game into disrepute when he published or caused to be published the Erasmus Video.

All charges have been proved, World Rugby revealed in a statement.

SA Rugby have also been found guilty of failing to ensure Erasmus complied with the World Rugby Code of Conduct and permitted him to commit acts of misconduct; and/or did not publicly correct any comments or publications by or on behalf of Erasmus that amounted to misconduct.