NEWS: The Bulls’ David Kriel has been cleared of any wrongdoing after a disciplinary committee overturned the red card he received last weekend.

Kriel received a red card in Round Four of the United Rugby Championship match against Ospreys last weekend.

The incident, in the 49th minute of the game , caused a lot of stir and debate on whether it should have been a card at all.

His hand-off was initially cleared by the referee Eoghan Cross and the television match official but after replays were shown on the beg screens at the game, the crowd got rowdy and caused the referee to relook the incident.

Kriel was then shown the red card.

The Bulls’ Jake White, Director of Rugby, was very unhappy after the game and said the call had a “massive effect on the game”.

The Bulls decided they would be looking at trying to overturn it at the disciplinary that will happen this week.

 

Following the subsequent disciplinary process related to the red card, in the United Rugby Championship Round 4 game against Ospreys on Saturday October 12 has been rescinded.

The red card was issued under Law 9.11 – Players must not do anything that is reckless or dangerous to others including leading with the elbow or forearm, or jumping into, or over, a tackler.

The Panel overseeing the disciplinary process Roddy Dunlop KC (Chair, Scotland), Donal Courtney and Gordon Black (both Ireland), found that while an act of foul play had occurred and the player made contact with the neck area of the tackler, a combination of factors (including the payer’s attempt at a hand-off to protect himself, the speed & height of the tackling player, and the low force of the contact in question) was such that the Player had established, on balance of probability, that a red card should not have been issued.

The card was thus rescinded.

As a result, Kriel is free to play and available for selection this weekend against Scarlets.