USA star learns disciplinary fate after ‘thuggish’ act on Australian
Alev Kelter has been banned after she stamped on Wallaroos star Georgie Friedrichs.
USA centre Alev Kelter has been slapped with a three-match ban after being red-carded in the Pacific Four Series match against Australia.
The American lashed out at Wallaroos star Georgie Friedrichs, who attempted to tackle the midfielder and held onto her leg.
Alev Kelter’s red card
As Kelter attempted to break free, she repeatedly stamped on the Australian landing, delivering several blows to the Wallaroos star’s head.
Referee Aimee Barrett-Theron immediately stopped play to review the incident with the TMO, which did not take long as the South African official quickly deemed that the American’s actions were an act of ‘thuggery’.
“This is going to be a permanent red card because this is thuggery, this is deliberate, very dangerous foul play, she’s direct on the head,” Barrett-Theron said.
Alev Kelter (USA) straight red card vs Wallaroos
byu/AwakenTheBacon_ inrugbyunion
World Rugby have now issued the independent Disciplinary Committee’s decision, with Kelter handed a three-week ban after the panel decided that the incident met the mid-range sanction requirements.
“The player accepted that she had committed an act of foul play and that the referee’s decision to award a red card was correct,” the statement read.
“The Committee found that there was foul play and that it met the red card threshold consistent with the referee’s decision. There was contact with the head by the player’s boot. The player repeatedly stamped her foot and deliberately so but the Committee accepted the player’s evidence that she did not intend to contact the head.
“On careful review of the footage, and considering the player’s evidence and submission, the Committee found that the player was not deliberately targeting the head of the Australian player, but rather was reckless in her actions (as she accepted). The contact to the head was glancing or grazing rather than direct and targeted. The Committee was not satisfied that the player looked down and was aware she was contacting the head of the Australian player.”
Full mitigation
Considering the decisions made above, the Committee deemed that it was a mid-range entry point with a sanction of six weeks, but because of Kelter’s clean disciplinary record and other factors, she was granted the full 50% mitigation.
“On that basis therefore and in considering sanction, the Committee applied World Rugby’s mandatory minimum mid-range entry point for foul play resulting in head contact (six matches),” the statement continued.
“Taking all considerations into account, including the player’s disciplinary record, early acknowledgement of foul play and her clear remorse, the Disciplinary Committee determined that full mitigation was appropriate.”
This means that Kelter will miss the USA’s final against the Black Ferns on May 24 as well as two games for her club, the Bay Breakers.
The incident went viral online and clearly irked former Wallabies star Morgan Turinui, who slammed the American’s actions.
Turinui felt that it was a “disgusting” act that had not been in the game for some time now and predicted a far heavier sanction that has since been handed out.
“It’s disgusting, that’s not in the game anymore, it hasn’t been in the game,” he said on Stan Sport’s Between Two Posts show. “The only time you see that in the game is when you’re on Instagram and your algorithm throws you 1970s French rugby in Castres or something, or you’re seeing something at Crosby Park in the 70s.
“They will throw as much as they can, it’s high end danger and foul play, it’s as high as you can go. It could be 18 down to 12 [weeks].”
