Vodacom Bulls No 8 Mpilo Gumede won’t play again this year after being suspended for a red-card incident during the URC win against Connacht in Galway on Saturday.
The Bulls beat Connacht 28-14 in round 7 despite losing Gumede to a red card at the end of the third quarter after referee Mike Adamson sent him off for “reckless contact with the eyes” of Connacht replacement centre David Hawkshaw during an off-the-ball scuffle.
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A URC press release detailed the judgement: “During the disciplinary hearing, Gumede admitted to committing an act of foul play that warranted the red card. The incident was deemed to meet the threshold for a red card, with a low-end entry point requiring a six-week suspension. However, mitigating factors, including Gumede’s immediate apology, active participation in the disciplinary process, and clean disciplinary record, resulted in a 50% reduction in the sanction.”
Gumede is consequently unavailable for the Bulls’ remaining matches of 2024, including the Champions Cup opener against Saracens (7 December), the round 2 clash against Northampton Saints (14 December) and the URC derby against the Sharks (21 December).
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