Lewis Ludlow handed four-game ban

England and Gloucester flanker Lewis Ludlow has been suspended for four matches for striking with the knee in Saturday’s 70-14 victory over Canada.

Ludlow appeared before an independent judicial committee via video link having been cited for an act of foul play in England’s international match against Canada on 10 July 2021.

The flanker was captaining his country for a second successive match and was sent to the sin-bin for the incident but the citing officer deemed the offence worthy of a red card.

Somehow this is a yellow

Contact to head and player of for HIA

Madness#ENGvCAN pic.twitter.com/vwNoZa2GM1

— The 2nd Row (@the2ndRow) July 10, 2021

The player admitted that he had committed an act of foul play worthy of a red card. Having reviewed all the evidence, the committee deemed that:

- The offence was a breach of Law 9.11 (players must not do anything that is reckless or dangerous to others)

- The foul play was not intentional but was a reckless act
- On that basis, the committee applied World Rugby’s mandatory minimum mid-range entry point for foul play resulting in contact with the head. This resulted in a starting point of a six-match suspension.

The committee acknowledged mitigating factors including the player’s admission of foul play but noted that the player did not have a clean disciplinary record. Accordingly, the committee reduced the six-match entry point by two matches resulting in a sanction of four matches being imposed, applicable to the player’s upcoming club matches with Gloucester:

28th August – Ealing

4th September – Ealing

11th September – Hartpury

18th September - Northampton

The player intends to apply to take part in World Rugby’s recently launched Head Contact Process Coaching Intervention Programme which is aimed at modifying specific techniques and technical issues that contribute to the foul play. The committee approved the application and the player and his coach will therefore submit a coaching intervention for consideration by World Rugby’s expert Review Panel. Following confirmation by the panel of successful completion, the final match of the player’s sanction will be substituted by the Coaching Intervention and the player would therefore be free to play in Gloucester’s match against Northampton on 18 September 2021.

The player may apply to take part in the Coaching Intervention Programme to substitute the final match of his sanction for a coaching intervention aimed at modifying specific techniques and technical issues that contributed to the foul play. Further information on the Coaching Intervention Programme can be found here.

The player has the right of appeal within 48 hours of the issuing of the full written decision.