Kriel's red card overturned

NEWS: The Bulls' David Kriel has been cleared of any wrongdoing after a disciplinary committee overturned the red card he received last weekend.

Kriel received the red card in the Bulls' 29-19 Round Four United Rugby Championship match against Ospreys last weekend.

The incident, in the 49th minute of the game, stirred a lot of debate on whether it should have been a card at all.

His hand-off was initially cleared by the referee Eoghan Cross and the Television Match Official.

However, after replays were shown on the big screens at the game, the crowd got rowdy and caused the referee to relook the incident.

Kriel was then shown the red card.

The Bulls' Director of Rugby Jake White was very unhappy after the game and said the call had a “massive effect on the game”.

The Bulls decided they would be looking at trying to overturn it at the disciplinary that will happen this week.

Following the subsequent disciplinary process related to the red card, the URC issued a statement:

"The Disciplinary process related to David Kriel's red card in the United Rugby Championship Round Four game against Ospreys on Saturday, October 12 has been rescinded.

"The Player (David Kriel, No.12) received a red card in the 49th minute of the game under Law 9.11 – Players must not do anything that is reckless or dangerous to others including leading with the elbow or forearm, or jumping into, or over, a tackler.

"The Panel overseeing the disciplinary process Roddy Dunlop (Chairman, Scotland), Donal Courtney and Gordon Black (both Ireland), found that while an act of foul play had occurred and the player made contact with the neck area of the tackler, a combination of factors (including the player's attempt at a hand-off to protect himself, the speed & height of the tackling player, and the low force of the contact in question) was such that the player had established, on balance of probability, that a red card should not have been issued.

"The card was thus rescinded.

As a result, Kriel is free to play and available for selection this weekend against Scarlets.