Italy lock Niccolò Cannone has been suspended for four matches following his red card in Saturday’s 47-17 defeat to New Zealand in the Nations Championship.
Cannone was sent off after head-butting All Blacks scrum-half Cam Roigard during the second half in Wellington. Referee Luc Ramos initially showed a yellow card before it was upgraded to a red following bunker review, leaving Italy to play the final 20 minutes with 14 men.
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Foul Play Review Committee reaches verdict
The Nations Championship’s Foul Play Review Committee (FPRC) confirmed on Tuesday that Cannone had been found guilty of physical abuse.
The disciplinary panel determined the offence warranted a low-end entry point of a six-match suspension before reducing the ban by two matches.
A statement read:
“The dangerous play, for which Cannone received a red card, merited a low-end entry point of six weeks/matches.
“In light of Cannone’s acceptance that he committed an act of foul play worthy of ordering off, as well as mitigating factors such as his disciplinary record, conduct and remorse, the FPRC applied a two-week reduction to the sanction.
“Cannone has been suspended from all forms of the game for four weeks.”
What matches will Cannone miss?
The suspension rules Cannone out of Italy’s final Nations Championship fixture against Australia in Perth this weekend.
The Benetton second-row will also miss the opening three matches of his club’s United Rugby Championship campaign when the new season begins in September.
Cannone has become the latest high-profile player to receive a lengthy suspension under World Rugby’s strict approach to head contact and foul play, with the disciplinary panel taking his previous good record and early admission into account when reducing the original sanction.
Fan reaction
The decision has sparked plenty of debate on social media, with many supporters arguing the four-match suspension was too harsh given the incident.
One fan wrote: “Four games for the softest headbutt in the history of the game…”
Another simply posted: “What the f**k.”
A third added: “That’s absurd.”
While many questioned the length of the ban, others pointed out that head-butting is viewed as a serious offence under World Rugby’s disciplinary framework, regardless of the level of force involved.
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