Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth has been suspended for 12 matches after being found guilty of intentionally eye-gouging a Welsh player and will be sidelined until March next year.
The verdict was supposed to be made public on Sunday, but various sources in the United Kingdom and Ireland have published the verdict from the judicial hearing held on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old was red-carded late in the Springboks’ match against Wales last Saturday after being caught on camera making finger contact with the eyes of Welsh flank Alex Mann. Etzebeth appeared at the hearing via video link.
The committee, chaired by Christopher Quinlan KC alongside former international players Leon Lloyd and Becky Essex, reviewed multiple camera angles and all submissions before concluding that Etzebeth’s actions were intentional contact. That prompted a mid-range entry point of 18 weeks.
However, the panel took into account the fact that Etzebeth had an exemplary disciplinary record. He had never before been red-carded in 141 Tests for the Boks. The suspension was reduced from 18 to 12 weeks.
A full written judgment has been published in the discipline section of the Six Nations Rugby website, offering detailed reasoning behind the decision.
World Rugby’s framework allowed no scope for a lower entry point given the nature of the offence, and the ruling means he will play virtually no rugby for the Sharks for the rest of their United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup season.
Eben Etzebeth will miss the following 12 matches:
7 December 2025 – Toulouse vs Sharks, EPCR Champions Cup
13 December 2025 – Sharks vs Saracens, EPCR Champions Cup
20 December 2025 – Sharks vs Bulls, United Rugby Championship
3 January 2026 – Lions vs Sharks, United Rugby Championship
10 January 2026 – Sale Sharks vs Sharks, EPCR Champions Cup
17 January 2026 – Sharks vs Clermont, EPCR Champions Cup
24 January 2026 – Stormers vs Sharks, United Rugby Championship
31 January 2026 – Sharks vs Stormers, United Rugby Championship
21 February 2026 – Sharks vs Lions, United Rugby Championship
28 February 2026 – Bulls vs Sharks, United Rugby Championship
21 March 2026 – Sharks vs Munster, United Rugby Championship
27 March 2026 – Sharks vs Cardiff Rugby, United Rugby Championship
