South African rugby veteran Eben Etzebeth has been suspended for 12 weeks following an eye-gouging incident during last weekend’s test match against Wales. The disciplinary ruling comes after the double World Cup-winning lock made contact with Welsh forward Alex Mann’s eye area during the 79th minute of play.
The incident occurred during South Africa’s dominant 73-0 victory at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, where Etzebeth had entered the match as a second-half substitute. French official Luc Ramos issued an immediate red card after reviewing the contact on the stadium’s giant screens—marking the first sending-off in Etzebeth’s 141-cap international career.
An independent judicial committee chaired by Christopher Quinlan KC determined the contact was intentional, categorizing it as a mid-range offense that typically carries an 18-week suspension. The panel reduced the ban to 12 weeks considering Etzebeth’s previously clean disciplinary record and other mitigating factors.
The suspension will affect both Etzebeth’s international availability and his commitments with the Sharks club, keeping him sidelined until late March 2026. This ruling highlights World Rugby’s stringent stance on eye contact offenses, which can result in bans ranging from 4 weeks to 4 years depending on severity and intent.
Notably, Etzebeth becomes the third Springbok forward to receive a red card in their recent four-match autumn series, though previous dismissals for Franco Mostert and Lood de Jager were subsequently overturned or downgraded upon review.