Bundee Aki has missed Ireland’s training camp in Portugal to appear before an independent disciplinary committee following a misconduct complaint arising from Connacht’s 34–23 defeat to Leinster in the United Rugby Championship last weekend.
The situation leaves Ireland head coach Andy Farrell anxiously waiting on the outcome, as any suspension could rule the centre out of the opening rounds of the Guinness Six Nations. Ireland begin their campaign on Thursday, February 5, against France in Paris.
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Any ban Aki receives is unlikely to come close to the most severe punishments handed down in rugby history. Here is a look at the longest bans the sport has seen.
10 Johan Le Roux (18 months)
A moment of madness in 1994 effectively ended Johan Le Roux’s international career. During a Test match in Wellington, the Springbok prop shocked supporters by biting the ear of All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick. The disciplinary response was swift, with Le Roux handed an 18-month suspension. Even his own union turned against him, with the South African Rugby Football Union president describing the incident as bringing shame on the country.
9 Richard Nones (2 years)
One of the most controversial bans in professional rugby was issued in 1999. Colomiers prop Richard Nones became the only professional player to receive a full two-year suspension for eye gouging after an incident during a heated Heineken Cup match against Pontypridd.
His appeal was dismissed following a three-hour hearing in Edinburgh. ERC chairman Jean-Pierre Lux used the case to warn players about future conduct. Despite widespread backlash in France, the ban stood and remains one of the harshest ever imposed for on-field violence in a professional match on Welsh soil.
8 Julien Caminati (33 months)
Julien Caminati’s disciplinary issues began early in his career. At just 18, the French winger was banned for three years after spitting at a referee during a fourth-division match. The suspension was later reduced to 26 months following his move to Nice.
His problems continued at Brive, where he received an additional six-month ban for a drug offence. He also picked up shorter suspensions, including three weeks for punching an opponent and 10 days after receiving a red card.
6= Bruno Andres Doglioli (3 years)
In 2016, Argentinian-born Bruno Andres Doglioli was involved in a shocking incident during an Italian club match. He blindsided referee Maria Beatrice Benvenuti with a late and forceful hit, leaving her with whiplash.
Although he was initially shown only a yellow card, the consequences escalated quickly. Doglioli was suspended by his club and later banned from all competitive sport for three years, the most severe rugby sanction imposed in Italy in over 20 years. The Italian Rugby Federation used the case to underline its zero-tolerance approach to violence.
6= Dean Richards (3 years)
As Harlequins head coach, Dean Richards masterminded the infamous Bloodgate scandal in 2009. During a Heineken Cup match against Leinster, winger Tom Williams used a fake blood capsule to simulate an injury, allowing a tactical substitution.
The deception was soon uncovered. Richards, Williams and the club physio were all banned, with Richards receiving a three-year suspension. It marked a dramatic fall from grace for a man once widely respected within the game.
5 Trevor Brennan (5 years)
Trevor Brennan was at the centre of chaos during a 2007 match between Toulouse and Ulster when he leapt into the crowd and assaulted a supporter. Brennan claimed he had been provoked by insults aimed at his mother, but the authorities rejected the explanation.
He initially announced his retirement before being handed a life ban, which was later reduced to five years on appeal. Brennan was also fined £17,000 and ordered to compensate the fan. The incident remains one of the most notorious in rugby history.
4 Cipriano Martinez (29 years)
Cipriano Martinez became one of rugby’s most infamous figures following a single act of extreme violence. In 2016, amateur footage surfaced showing the Argentine prop repeatedly kicking a grounded opponent in the head during a club match.
His team, Pucara, immediately issued a 99-year ban. The Buenos Aires Rugby Union followed with an official suspension of 1,508 weeks, equivalent to 29 years. The severity of the punishment reflected the brutality of the act and sent shockwaves through the sport.
2= Pablo De La Plata (life ban)
A mass brawl during an Argentine club match between Huazihul San Juan and Personal Bank Mendoza resulted in severe disciplinary action. Pablo De La Plata received a life ban, set to expire in 2041, for his role in the incident.
Several teammates were also punished, with suspensions of up to 10 years. The crackdown sent a clear message from Argentine rugby authorities that violence would not be tolerated at any level.
2= Michel Palmie (life ban)
Known as one of rugby’s most feared enforcers, Michel Palmie developed a reputation for extreme physicality. Tales of gouging and punching, even involving teammates, followed him throughout his career.
In 1978, Palmie crossed the line when he punched Racing Club’s Armand Clerc, leaving him partially blind in one eye. The incident resulted in a lifetime ban, one of the earliest and most severe in French rugby history.
1 Chris Jones (life ban, twice)
Chris Jones stands alone in rugby’s hall of shame. The former Treorchy prop was banned for life on two separate occasions. Jones openly admitted to stamping and kicking opponents, describing violence as second nature to him on the field.
Infamous for keeping an axe in his kit bag and cultivating a fearsome reputation, his behaviour ultimately led to a lifetime ban. When he attempted a return to the game, authorities banned him again, cementing his status as one of rugby’s most notorious figures.
Bonus mention: unnamed Namibian player (life ban)
In 2024, an unnamed Namibian club player was involved in one of the most disturbing incidents in recent rugby history. During a match between Grootfontein Rugby Club and Reho Falcons, he sprinted toward the referee and delivered a full-speed tackle.
Despite being injured, the referee managed to show a red card before abandoning the match. The player was later banned for life and suspended from all rugby activity for 156 weeks, serving as a stark reminder of the sport’s boundaries.
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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