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Springbok star Makazole Mapimpi banned for 'one of vilest acts'
Sharks and Springboks winger Makazole Mapimpi will miss three United Rugby Championship matches having admitted an act of foul play against Cardiff last month.
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Mapimpi was cited following the Sharks’ 42-22 victory at Cardiff Arms Park after footage emerged of a second-half fracas between the winger and Efan Daniel.
With play stopped by referee Mike Adamson in the 52nd minute, the pair were involved in an altercation that left Mapimpi shirtless and led to allegations that the Springbok had gouged the eyes of the hosts’ replacement hooker.
According to a statement released by the URC on Tuesday, the Rugby World Cup-winner accepted that he had “committed an act of foul play which warranted a red card”.
David Martin, the judicial officer overseeing the disciplinary process, determined the incident met the red card threshold but at the lower entry point.
Mapimpi’s apology resulted in a 50 per cent mitigation to the original four-match tariff, but a previous citing for a similar offence in European competition in the 2022/23 season meant an extra match was added.
It means the winger will miss the Sharks’ next three URC matches, against the Bulls a week on Saturday and the home and away fixtures against the Lions next month.
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The initial online reaction to the footage had been mixed. One commenter wrote “Throw the book at him – harshest punishment possible. Gouging is an absolute no-go for me” while another added “Hope the citing commissioner is paying attention. One of the vilest acts of thuggery you can commit.”
Others defended Mapimpi. “Where? He’s holding the jersey – impossible” wrote one rugby fan, while another social media account suggested “Honestly simmer down, not like he’s scraping the dude’s eyes out and if it was the other way around same thing applies.”
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yawn
How do you know it wasn’t sexual?
my threshold is that it needs to be sexual and violent
Only blatant thing about that is that he apologised, for what you don't know.
Where were all the guys baying for blood, when Aussie 2 put his fingers in EE's eyes. No one said anything. Both players were pushing and shoving. Mapimpi has admitted, but if he didn't and he was found guilty it could've been more time to ban. He was defending himself, other player pulling his jersey off, then Mapimpi wipes his hand over the guys face. No fingers in his eyes, yet the Aussie guy fingers clearly go from forehead over Ebens eyes, nothing.
Saffe here - if he admitted to eye gouging, that's unacceptable and should miss more than 3 matches. Video isn't clear that it's an eye gouge in my opinion but if thats what he admitted to, he got off with a very lenient sentence.
Everyone admits it so as to get the plea bargain deal.
3 matches isn't very many!
The last guy also got 3 weeks.
Unless the eyeball comes out completely and hangs for a bit, it’s only a 3 weeker.
Evidently sexual assault gets zero weeks.
I believe a certain sect owe Andrew Forde an apology
Glad to see this has been punished. It was a blatant attempt at an eye gouge which some passionate fans vehemently denied!
Tom, I don’t want to start a fight, but if I were to try and gouge your eye out it wouldn’t look like what happened on the video evidence.
First, I’d use one finger, probably my thumb and try and lodge it from below between the eyeball and the bottom of the eye socket.
Then I’d press in firmly trying to scoop it out into my palm and to grip it quickly like a boiled egg so it doesn’t slip out my hand. Because I’d want to hold it so as to pull it and get some vein hang on it from the end. For best effect.
I thought he was cleared!
Did the other guy get into trouble for forcibly removing mapimpis clothing and making unwanted bodily contact?
What world do we live in where the person being stripped naked can’t defend himself!?
Ok Tom
You are a Tom Curry