All Blacks star handed ban after horror tackle in Super Rugby defeat
Blues winger Mark Tele'a in action in the 2024/25 Super Rugby season
All Blacks star Mark Tele’a has copped a three-week suspension following his red card in the Blues’ defeat to the Reds on Friday night.
The winger, who will leave the Auckland-based side at the end of the season for Japan, was initially handed a yellow card, but it was quickly upgraded to a red card following an off-field review.
Mark Tele’a handed three-week ban
Tele’a had initially made a good, legal hit on Reds opponent Tim Ryan, before following through and later tipping him head-first into the ground.
The Blues did actually manage to score while reduced to 14 men, with Kurt Eklund crossing, but in the end slipped to a 35-21 defeat to the Queenslanders.
Mark Tele’a with a huge tackle 😬 Should this be a red card?
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“The Super Rugby Pacific Foul Play Review Committee (FPRC) has found Mark Tele’a (Blues) guilty of a lifting tackle in contravention of Law 9.18,” a statement issued by SANZAR read.
“The tackle, for which Tele’a received a red card, occurred in the 31st minute of the match between the Queensland Reds and Blues at Suncorp Stadium on 25 April 2025.
“The FPRC determined the low-range entry point of six weeks/matches was appropriate for the incident. In light of the player accepting he committed an act of foul play as well as mitigating factors such as his prior disciplinary record, the FPRC applied the full 50 per cent reduction in sanction.”
As a result of his ban, he will now miss the Blues’ upcoming games against Western Force, Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika.
The defending champions currently sit ninth, joint on points with 10th-placed Highlanders, in the Super Rugby table after a disappointing run of three wins from their opening 10 games.
