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The three-week RWC suspension that won't elapse until next February

Canada's Josh Larsen is shown the red card by referee Luke Pearce in Kobe (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Canada replacement Josh Larsen has been banned for three weeks following his red card for an act of foul play contrary to Law 9.20 (dangerous play in a ruck or maul) against South Africa last Tuesday in Kobe. 

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Larsen attended a disciplinary hearing in Tokyo on Thursday before an independent judicial committee chaired by Wang Shao Ing (Singapore lawyer and former international player) and joined by former referees Donal Courtney (Ireland) and Valeriu Toma (Romania).

Larsen admitted the act of foul play, that he had contacted his opponent’s head and neck and accepted that it warranted a red card.

The committee considered that the terms of high tackle sanction framework were relevant and accepted the player’s admission that:

  • There was a shoulder charge;
  • There was direct contact of the player’s left shoulder to his opponent’s head and neck;
  • There are no mitigating factors.

(Continue reading below…)

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The committee upheld the red card and applied World Rugby’s mandatory minimum mid-range entry point, which was introduced in 2017 to protect player welfare, deter high contact and prevent head injuries. This resulted in a starting point of a six-week suspension.

Taking into account the mitigating factors that were considered in relation to sanction, including the player’s clean disciplinary record, the committee reduced the six-week entry point by three weeks, resulting in a sanction of three weeks.

Larsen will miss Canada’s final pool match at the World Cup 2019 (against Namibia on Sunday) and his first two matches for his new club New England Free Jacks in the 2020 Major League Rugby season. He will be free to play again on February 16.

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Bull Shark 3 hours ago
Rassie Erasmus' Boks selection policy is becoming bizarre

To be fair, the only thing that drives engagement on this site is over the top critiques of Southern Hemisphere teams.


Or articles about people on podcasts criticizing southern hemisphere teams.


Articles regarding the Northern Hemisphere tend to be more positive than critical. I guess to also rile up kiwis and Saffers who seem to be the majority of followers in the comments section. There seems to be a whole department dedicated to Ireland’s world ranking news.


Despite being dialled into the Northern edition - I know sweet fokall about what’s going on in France.


And even less than fokall about what’s cutting in Japan - which has a fast growing, increasingly premium League competition emerging.


And let’s not talk about the pacific. Do they even play rugby Down there.


Oh and the Americas. I’ve read more articles about a young, stargazing Welshman’s foray into NFL than I have anything related to either the north and south continents of the Americas.


I will give credit that the women’s game is getting decent airtime. But for the rest and the above; it’s just pathetic coming from a World Rugby website.


Just consider the innovation emerging in Japan with the pedigree of coaches over there.


There’s so much good we could be reading.


Instead it’s unimaginative “critical for the sake of feigning controversial”. Which is lazy, because in order to pull that off all you need to be really good at is:


1. Being a doos;

2. Having an opinion.


No prior experience needed.


Which is not journalism. That’s like all or most of us in the comments section. People like Finn (who I believe is a RP contributor).


Anyway. Hopefully it will get better. The game is growing and the interest in the game is growing. Maybe it will attract more qualified journalists over time.

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