Jaguares hooker Santiago Socino has been handed a three-week ban for stamping on Sharks hooker Craig Burden’s head during Saturday’s match in Durban.
A disciplinary committee met on Tuesday to consider the citing complaint against Socino for a dangerous and reckless stamp on Burden’s head in the 81st minute of the match. Socino escaped sanction at the time, as his act was missed by all the match officials.
Some serious foul play by Santiago Socino… #SHAvJAG pic.twitter.com/OM0ozWsCBv
— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) March 7, 2020
Socino was cited under Law 9.12: A player must not physically or verbally abuse anyone. Physical abuse includes but is not limited to: Stamping or Trampling.
The Sanzaar foul-play review committee, chaired by Adam Casselden, accepted a guilty plea from Socino, which counted as a mitigating factor when his sanction was handed down.
‘Having conducted a detailed review of all the available evidence, including all camera angles and additional evidence, including from the player and submissions from his legal representative, Aaron Lloyd, the judicial committee upheld the citing under Law 9.12,’ Sanzaar said in a statement.
‘With respect to sanction, the judicial committee deemed the act of foul play merited a mid-range entry point of six weeks due to the World Rugby instructions that dictate any incident of foul play involving contact with the head must start at a mid-range level.
‘However, taking into account mitigating factors including the player’s clean judicial record and the fact that he pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity, the judicial committee reduced the suspension to three weeks.
‘The player is therefore suspended for three weeks, up to and including Saturday, 4 April 2020. This sanction covers the player’s next three scheduled matches and also incorporates the scheduled bye weekend for the Jaguares in round nine.’
Socino has been suspended from all forms of the game for three weeks, up to and including 4 April 2020 and will thus miss the Jaguares’ next three matches against the Highlanders, Stormers and Rebels.
