Following their URC red cards last weekend, Mathew Protheroe of the Ospreys and Marcell Coetzee of the Bulls have been suspended for the same amount of time. Coetzee, a former back-rower for the Springboks, was sent off in Edinburgh for a reckless tackle. If he passes World Rugby tackle school, his three-game sentence will be reduced to two.
Protheroe, an ex-England U-20 player, had a similar fate at Dragons. In a similar vein, his red card brought about a three-game suspension that might be lowered to two through the coaching intervention program.
A statement read: “After an act of foul play by Vodacom Bulls’ No6 (Marcell Coetzee), referee Chris Busby showed a red card in the 42nd minute of the game. In the player’s response to the independent disciplinary committee
(Ben Rutherford, IRFU chair; Donal Courtney, IRFU; Jan Gedrych, WRU) acknowledged that he had played foul, but he denied that it was enough to receive a red card.
The committee concluded that the event did satisfy the red card level, with entrance of mid-range warranting six weeks, after taking into account all of the evidence against the high contact process.
The player’s prior excellent disciplinary record—which led to a three-game suspension—was a major factor in his three-week mitigation. If the player completes the coaching intervention program offered by World Rugby, the suspension will be lessened by one match.
“In the 27th minute of play, Ospreys No. 11 Matthew Protheroe was sent a red card by referee Ben Whitehouse for a foul play. The player acknowledged that he had made a foul action that called for a red card in his statement to Rose Alice Murphy, the court officer.
Murphy concluded that the event satisfied the requirements for a red card, with the mid-range entry requiring a six-week stay. Because of his solid record and apologies, the player earned three weeks of mitigation, which came with a ban of three games. If the player completes the coaching intervention program offered by World Rugby, the suspension will be lessened by one game.
Fixtures Coetzee is unavailable for:
Bulls vs Connacht, November 25 – URC;
Bulls vs Sharks, December 2 – URC;
Bulls vs Saracens, December 9 – Champions Cup.
The ban for the last game will be lifted with the successful completion of the World Rugby coaching intervention programme
Fixtures Protheroe is unavailable for:
Ospreys vs Scarlets, November 26 – URC
Benetton vs Ospreys, December 2 – URC
Ospreys vs Benetton, December 9 – Challenge Cup
The ban for the last game will be lifted with the successful completion of the World Rugby coaching intervention programme
