Bath’s Beno Obano Receives Four-Match Ban Following Gallagher Premiership Final Red Card
In the 22nd minute of the Gallagher Premiership final, Bath’s Beno Obano was shown a red card after his shoulder collided with the head of Northampton’s ball-carrying No8, Juarno Augustus. Referee Christophe Ridley and the match officials reviewed the footage and deemed it a dangerous tackle, a red card offense under World Rugby law 9.13.
Obano’s disciplinary hearing has since taken place, and the independent panel, chaired by Matthew Weaver KC with Leon Lloyd and Mitch Read, upheld the red card decision. The front-rower was subsequently handed a four-match ban, which will be reduced to three matches if he applies to World Rugby’s coaching intervention program.
“I don’t believe that is foul play. I believe that is a collision between two extremely powerful rugby union players, a ball carrier and a tackler.” – Johann van Graan, Bath’s Head Coach
However, he acknowledged the referee’s decision and said the team would “stick by that.”
The timing of the disciplinary hearing at the end of the domestic rugby union season means the next applicable fixtures for Obano’s suspension are yet to be confirmed. As the rugby world cup final saw a similar red card incident, this latest rugby union news serves as a continued discussion around player safety and officiating in high-stakes rugby union matches.
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