SANZAR have lodged an appeal over the one-week ban handed to Australia’s Michael Hooper by one of their own judicial officers.
Hooper was yesterday suspended for a single game after being found guilty of striking Argentina out-half Nicolás Sánchez during the Wallabies’ meeting with the Pumas last weekend in Mendoza.
The one-week sentence dished out by SANZAR judicial officer Nigel Hampton meant Hooper would only have missed club side Manly’s Shute Shield match against Randwick tomorrow, the Wallabies having conveniently made him available for that fixture.
Hooper was therefore set to be free to play against New Zealand on 8 August in the Rugby Championship decider, but SANZAR have confirmed that they have lodged an appeal against Hooper’s suspension.
That comes after independent appeals review officer Graeme Mew, a Canadian, found grounds for the appeal.
A SANZAR appeals committee will now hear the case in a video conference on Sunday, with Hooper now back in danger of missing the Bledisloe Cup encounter against the Kiwis in two weekends’ time, and potentially more games thereafter.
In response, the Australian Rugby Union has released a statement expressing that it is “extremely disappointed” at SANZAR’s appeal and promised to “vigorously defend” Hooper.
Indeed, the ARU says it intends to cross-appeal the original finding by judicial officer Hampton that Hooper was guilty of committing foul play.
The openside flanker’s ban, which came under Law 10.4 (a) for punching or striking, was only one week after Hampton found that Hooper’s hand had been open when he struck Sanchez and that a “deliberate, illegal and an act of considerable provocation” was involved.
Watch this space.
Great! I’m sick of Unions (our own included) and disciplinary boards tailoring punishments dependent on the importance of the player and upcoming matches.
A one week ban for what he did is insane if you puched someone like that in the street and were caught on CCTV I think there would be a far heftier sentence.
I thought it was more of a push with an open palm. One week was enough.
But it’s ok to put a big hit on a stranger in the street, yeah?
A push? ? He absolutely clung him. …
Clung..nice one.. You have to be from Corp
Colin, I think you’re funny.
Too right!
He was been held back and the cheat got chinned.
Not condoning punching someone but if you drag out of someone off the ball you asked for it.
For once Chris!! I agree 100% the guy was very sneaky and got what he deserved!!
I need a very large drink, Philip just agreed with something I said.
Load of pussys and PC brigade watching Irish rugby now. Glad I’m finished playing.
So you did that sprt of thing in your playing days?
Ahhhhh yes!
A week is a joke, if he’s guilty he deserves real punishment, also if he’s banned for a week for an incident in an international game the ban should be made stick until he’s missed at least one international game. What if, just for instance, cian healy knocked the ceann off someone in an Ireland game, got a one wk ban, didn’t have any leinster games coming up so was released back to clontarf, where he would not be able to play, fulfilling his game ban only to come back to play for leinster or Ireland the following week? That’s crazy.