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4th December 2025
04:39pm GMT
South Africa player Eben Etzebeth has been given the minimum 12-week punishment after an eye-gouging incident on Alex Mann against Wales on Saturday.
Etzebeth was shown a straight red by Luc Ramos with only two minutes left to play at the Principality Stadium, with replays showing Etzebeth’s thumb clearly made contact with Mann’s eye.
South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus admitted that the incident ‘didn’t look good’ and deserved a red, while others have sprung to Etzebeth’s defence by saying he was provoked by an earlier similar eye-gouge incident from Mann himself.
World Rugby guidelines detail that the low-end point for intentional contact with an opponent’s eyes is 12 weeks, while the top-end is 24 weeks. However, bans for the most serious eye gouging offences can be up to your years.
But World Rugby said in a statement on Thursday afternoon: "South Africa number 19, Eben Etzebeth, appeared before an independent Disciplinary Committee via video link having received a red card for an act of foul play contrary to Law 9.12 in the match between South Africa and Wales on Saturday 22 November 2025.
"The independent Disciplinary Committee was chaired by Christopher Quinlan KC, joined by former international players Leon Lloyd (England) and Becky Essex (England).
"Having considered the Player’s and other evidence and reviewed the footage, and for the reasons set out in the full written decision (which is available now in the discipline section of the Six Nations Rugby website), the Disciplinary Committee have determined that contact with the eye was intentional and a mid-range entry point of eighteen weeks/matches was appropriate.
"Some mitigating factors, including the Player’s previous record, were applied by the Committee reducing the eighteen week entry point by six weeks to twelve weeks/matches.
"The suspension will cover the following matches;
South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus admitted that the incident ‘didn’t look good’ and deserved a red, while others have sprung to Etzebeth’s defence by saying he was provoked by an earlier similar eye-gouge incident from Mann himself.
