Disciplinary: Salesi Rayasi 3rd Yellow Card for Tournament

Foul Play Review Committee: Michael Heron QC (Chairman), John Langford and Stefan Terblanche
Player: Salesi Rayasi
Team: Hurricanes
Position: Wing
Date of Incident: 28 May 2022
Nature of Offence: SANZAAR Judicial Rule 6.2 - A Player who has received either a total of three yellow cards or of three Warnings or any combination of three yellow cards and Warnings arising from Matches in the same Competition shall be required to appear before the Foul Play Review Committee. 


SANZAAR NEWS RELEASE

Salesi Rayasi issued a competition warning

The SANZAAR Foul Play Review Committee has examined a matter relating to Salesi Rayasi of the Hurricanes for contravening SANZAAR Judicial Rule 6.2 - A Player who has received either a total of three yellow cards or of three Warnings or any combination of three yellow cards and Warnings arising from Matches in the same Competition shall be required to appear before the Foul Play Review Committee, after he was Yellow Carded during a Super Rugby Pacific Match at the Weekend. 

Rayasi was awarded a Yellow Card in Rd 6, a Yellow Card in Rd 11 and a Yellow Card in Rd 15.

The SANZAAR Judicial Rules in Section 8 of the Tournament Manual state:
6.2
A Player who has received either a total of three yellow cards or of three Warnings or any combination of three yellow cards and Warnings arising from Matches in the same Competition shall be required to appear before the Foul Play Review Committee appointed for the Match during which he last offended. At the same time as notification of the details of his hearing pursuant to Rule 4.1, the Player shall be sent copies of the Match Officials’ Reports in relation to each incident and be advised that the purpose of the hearing before the Foul Play Review Committee is to consider the circumstances in which each yellow card and/or Warning was imposed and determine whether a preliminary indication of penalty should be made to the Player by reason of his persistent foul play, or the matter referred to a full hearing, pursuant to Rule 7.

The SANZAAR Foul Play Review Committee of Michael Heron QC (Chairman), Stefan Terblanche and John Langford assessed the case.

In his finding, Foul Play Review Committee Chairman Michael Heron QC ruled the following: 

"The Foul Play Review Committee 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." 

""With respect to sanction the Foul Play Review Committee considered the guidance in Appendix 4 of World Rugby Regulation 17 and found the offences did not warrant any further sanction as the three yellow cards did not represent a pattern of behaviour or persistent offending which warranted a further sanction.  One of the yellow cards followed a team warning and was technical in nature and the other two were not cynical offences. The Foul Play Review Committee cautioned the Player as to his repeat offending.""

"The player is therefore free to resume playing.”

All SANZAAR disciplinary matters are in the first instance referred to the Foul Play Review Committee to provide the option of expediting the judicial process.

For a matter to be dispensed with at this hearing, the person appearing must plead guilty and accept the penalty offered by the Foul Play Review Committee.