Springboks: When Lood de Jager will learn his suspension fate and how long the ban could be
Springboks lock Lood de Jager and an inset of Angus Gardner issuing a red card.
Springboks lock Lood de Jager will attend an independent disciplinary hearing to determine whether he will face a further sanction after his red card against France.
Referee Angus Gardner issued a permanent red card to the second-rower in the 38th minute of the match at the Stade de France on Saturday evening.
Lood de Jager’s hearing date
The decision has proven to be quite controversial, particularly among South African pundits, with former back-rower Schalk Burger left puzzled as to why Gardner issued a permanent red card instead of sending the incident for a review.
Bok head coach Rassie Erasmus said that he believed it was worthy of a red card, but also wasn’t convinced that it warranted a full red card, adding, “We’ve learnt to accept decisions.”
Six Nations Rugby, the governing body for the Quilter Nations Series, has confirmed that De Jager will face a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday afternoon.
“South Africa Number 5, Lood de Jager, will attend an independent disciplinary hearing after he was awarded a permanent red card by Angus Gardner (Referee) for an act of foul play contrary to Law 9.16 (A player must not charge or knock down an opponent carrying the ball without attempting to grasp that player) in the Quilter Nations Series match between France and South Africa on Saturday 8th November 2025,” a statement read.
“The player will attend the hearing via video conference before an independent Disciplinary Committee chaired by Jennifer Donovan (Ireland), joined by Val Toma (Romania) and Donal Courtney (Ireland).
“The hearing will take place on Tuesday, 11th November 2025 at 1pm (GMT).”
According to World Rugby’s regulations around sanctions for foul play, De Jager could face a ban anywhere from two to 52 weeks, with the latter being very unlikely in this case.
Possible ban
A no-arms tackle could carry the following sanctions depending on how serious the panel deems the incident: Low-end: 2 weeks/matches; Mid-range: 6 weeks/matches; Top-end: 10+ weeks/matches; Max: 52 weeks/matches.
Depending on how he pleads, any suspension handed down to De Jager could be significantly reduced, given his rather clean disciplinary record.
The lock was handed a one-match ban in 2016 for a no-arms charge at a ruck on All Blacks prop Wyatt Crokett, with no other red cards on his record.
Considering that the incident occurred nine years ago, it is unlikely to factor in against him, while De Jager will also be afforded the opportunity to reduce the sanction by one week by completing World Rugby’s Coaching Intervention Programme.
Unless the disciplinary panel rescinds his red card, it is unlikely that De Jager will be able to play in the Springboks’ clash against Ireland next week.
If his actions are deemed to meet the mid-range threshold, he would be handed a six-game ban. If a maximum deduction of 50% is then applied for his conduct and record, and a further week is reduced for the coaching intervention programme, he would still be banned for two matches – South Africa’s games against Italy and Ireland.
