Drua centre banned for eye gouge

Thu, Oct 5, 2017, 11:24 PM
Beth Newman
by Beth Newman
Eroni Vasiteri has been suspended for nine weeks. Photo: Getty Images
Eroni Vasiteri has been suspended for nine weeks. Photo: Getty Images

Fijian Drua centre Eroni Vasiteri  has been suspended for nine weeks for eye gouging.

Vasiteri and teammate Apisalome Waqatabu fronted the NRC judiciary on Thursday night, accused of making contact with the eye of Canberra Vikings hooker Folau Faingaa.

The Vikings rake reacted immediately during the game, after feeling the contact in a ruck.


Waqatabu was cleared of any foul play, free to play against the Greater Sydney Rams.

Vasiteri's offence had an entry poitn of 12 weeks but a clean disciplinary record reduced that to nine weeks, ruling him out of rugby until December 3, 2017.

This suspension comes just days after a similar incident in the UK, with England prop Kyle Sinckler copping a seven-week ban in the Premiership for eye gouging.

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