Pieter-Steph du Toit handed ban for reckless challenge on Danty

Springbok hard man Pieter-Steph du Toit has been handed a ban for his reckless challenge on French centre Jonathan Danty last weekend.

The disciplinary committee accepted that the act was not deliberate and, coupled with du Toit’s good record, decided to issue a three-week ban to the player.

An Autumn Nations Series statement said:

“The player denied that he had committed an act of foul play worthy of a red card. However, having reviewed all available evidence and the submissions made by the player and his representative prior to and during the hearing, the judicial committee determined that the player had committed an act of foul play worthy of a red card, having regard to the process set out within World Rugby’s Head Contact Process.

“The Disciplinary Committee found the player’s offending to be “reckless” (and not intentional or deliberate), and although there were some external factors identified with respect to the incident, they were not, on the evidence before the judicial committee , of a sufficient degree to justify a reclassification of the offending to below red card.”