By Dylan Bettencourt
- Sharks winger Makazole Mapimpi will miss three big games after making contact with the opponent’s eye in the Wales match.
- Mapimpi got a lighter punishment for saying sorry but a previous similar incident made the ban longer.
Springbok star Makazole Mapimpi received a ban after getting into a fight during a rugby match in Wales.
The Sharks winger will miss three important matches after making contact with Cardiff player Efan Daniel’s eye during a fight in their game on 25 January. The Sharks won the match 42-22.
The United Rugby Championship (URC) said Mapimpi, 34, admitted he broke the rules and deserved a red card.
“A player must not physically or verbally abuse anyone. Physical abuse includes contact with the eye or eye area,” the URC said in a statement.
The rugby bosses initially wanted to ban him for four weeks. But because Mapimpi apologised and cooperated with their investigation, they reduced it to two weeks.
However, there was a problem. Mapimpi had done something similar before, making contact with another player’s eye in a match against Bordeaux Bègles last season. Because of this, they added another week to his ban.
This means Mapimpi will miss three big matches against other South African teams:
The Sharks will play without him against the Bulls in Pretoria on 15 February and then twice against the Lions—first in Johannesburg on 1 March and then in Durban on 8 March.
Pictured above: Makazole Mapimpi.
Source: @SharksRugby
