Bok winger Makazole Mapimpi banned after eye gouge incident

The winger accepted he had committed an act of foul play, and the incident was deemed to be worth a red card threshold upon later review.

The incident caused a stir on social media following the game, which the Sharks won 42-22 with Mapimpi scoring, with some fans calling for the 'book to be thrown' at him.

And, it has now been confirmed he will face punishment for his actions, with an official URC statement issued today (4th February) reading: "The Citing Commissioner in charge reported Hollywoodbets Sharks player No 11 (Makazole Mapimpi), for an act of foul play in the 52nd minute under Law 9.12 - A player must not physically or verbally abuse anyone.

"Physical abuse includes, but is not limited to, biting, punching, contact with the eye or eye area, striking with any part of the arm, shoulder, head or knee(s), stamping, trampling, tripping or kicking.

"In the Player's responses to the Judicial Officer overseeing the disciplinary process (David Martin, Ireland), he had accepted that he had committed an act of foul play which warranted a Red Card. Mr. Martin found that the incident met the Red Card threshold, with a lower end entry point warranting four weeks."

It also broke down the exact reasoning behind the three-game suspension, despite the entry point being a four-week ban: "The Player received two weeks (50%) mitigation due to his apology and full engaged participation in the disciplinary process. The Player was previously cited for a similar offence in EPCR in the 2022/2023 season which resulted in suspension. Therefore considered an aggravating factor, warranting a further one week sanction. This results in a three-game suspension."

Mapimpi will now miss the Sharks' next three URC matches against the Bulls later this month and the two back-to-back games against the Lions in March.

So far this season, Mapimpi has made seven appearances for the Durban-based side, scoring three tries in the process.