Rugby
Etzebeth slapped with 12-week ban after eye-gouge ruling─── MORGAN PIEK 07:31 Fri, 05 Dec 2025
Springbok enforcer Eben Etzebeth has been slapped with a 12-match suspension after an independent disciplinary committee ruled that his contact with the eye of Wales loose forward Alex Mann was “intentional”.
The incident unfolded in the dying moments of South Africa’s 73–0 demolition of Wales in Cardiff last Saturday - a record win delivered in the final Test of the End-of-Year tour. Etzebeth, who came off the bench late in the match, was shown a straight red card after the TMO highlighted the altercation during a scuffle.
The 33-year-old lock, who has amassed a record 141 Test caps for South Africa, appeared before the committee via video link. After reviewing the footage and hearing submissions from all parties, the panel opted for a mid-range entry point of 18 weeks for foul play under Law 9.12.
Completely unnecessary.
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) November 29, 2025
Brain-less from Eben Etzebeth. A long ban loading.#WALvRSA pic.twitter.com/VWFwTt9tAD
However, six weeks were knocked off the ban owing to Etzebeth’s previously clean disciplinary record - remarkably, he had never been red-carded in Test rugby before this moment.
Etzebeth, a key figure for the Sharks in both the Champions Cup and the United Rugby Championship, will now miss 12 fixtures across the two competitions. His suspension rules him out until April 2026. The Springboks, meanwhile, are not in action again until July 2026, when they launch the inaugural Nations Championship with a high-profile clash against England on home soil.
Eben Etzebeth - Morgan Piek
In its formal statement, the disciplinary committee said:
“Having considered the player’s and other evidence as well as the footage, the Committee determined that contact with the eye was intentional and that a mid-range entry point of eighteen weeks was appropriate. Mitigating factors, including the player’s previous record, reduced the sanction to twelve weeks.”
Matches Etzebeth will miss:
• 7 Dec 2025 - Toulouse vs Sharks (Champions Cup)
• 13 Dec 2025 - Sharks vs Saracens (Champions Cup)
• 20 Dec 2025 - Sharks vs Bulls (URC)
• 3 Jan 2026 - Lions vs Sharks (URC)
• 10 Jan 2026 - Sale Sharks vs Sharks (Champions Cup)
• 17 Jan 2026 - Sharks vs Clermont (Champions Cup)
• 24 Jan 2026 - Stormers vs Sharks (URC)
• 31 Jan 2026 - Sharks vs Stormers (URC)
• 21 Feb 2026 - Sharks vs Lions (URC)
• 28 Feb 2026 - Bulls vs Sharks (URC)
• 21 Mar 2026 - Sharks vs Munster (URC)
• 27 Mar 2026 - Sharks vs Cardiff Rugby (URC)
The Sharks will now be forced to navigate a crucial stretch of their season without their most experienced forward - a blow that will test both their depth and resolve.
Morgan Piek OFM Sport
