Owen Lane of Cardiff Blues has been suspended for a period of three weeks after receiving a red card in the Guinness PRO14 Round 2 fixture against Dragons Rugby on Sunday, May 9, 2021.
Lane was shown a red card referee by Mike Adamson (SRU) under Law 9.13 – A Player must not tackle an opponent early, late or dangerously. Dangerous tackling includes, but is not limited to, tackling or attempting to tackle an opponent above the lie of the shoulders even if the tackle starts below the line of the shoulders.
Judicial Officer Rory Bannerman (IRFU) presided over the case, who concluded that a mid-range act of foul play had occurred, carrying a six-week suspension. In order to determine the ultimate sanction, the Judicial Officer considered the lack of aggravating circumstances and the range of mitigating factors advanced by the Player. The Judicial Officer concluded that mitigation of 50 percent should be applied, therefor Lane is banned from participating in the next three meaningful matches.
Should a game be cancelled or postponed during this window of games, the Player and PRO14 are to submit updated fixtures to the Disciplinary Panel so the return date can be advised.