South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth has been suspended for 12 weeks after an independent disciplinary committee found he intentionally gouged the eye of Wales’ Alex Mann during the Autumn Nations Series Test at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
The incident happened in the final minute of the match, with South Africa already 73-0 ahead. Etzebeth, who has a record 141 Test caps for South Africa, had entered the game as a replacement and was shown a red card following a TMO review after making contact with his thumb to Mann’s eye during a skirmish.
The committee deemed the contact intentional and applied a mid-range entry point of 18 weeks. Six weeks were deducted because of Etzebeth’s previous record, having never been sent off in Test rugby, resulting in a 12-week suspension.
At club level with the Sharks, Etzebeth will miss the next 12 fixtures across the EPCR Champions Cup and United Rugby Championship and will not be available to play until April 2026. South Africa’s next Test is not until July 2026, when they host England in the inaugural Nations Championship.
Suspension covers the following matches:
• 7 December 2025 – Toulouse vs Sharks, EPCR Champions Cup
• 13 December 2025 – Sharks vs Saracens, EPCR Champions Cup
• 20 December 2025 – Sharks vs Bulls, United Rugby Championship
• 3 January 2026 – Lions vs Sharks, United Rugby Championship
• 10 January 2026 – Sale Sharks vs Sharks, EPCR Champions Cup
• 17 January 2026 – Sharks vs Clermont, EPCR Champions Cup
• 24 January 2026 – Stormers vs Sharks, United Rugby Championship
• 31 January 2026 – Sharks vs Stormers, United Rugby Championship
• 21 February 2026 – Sharks vs Lions, United Rugby Championship
• 28 February 2026 – Bulls vs Sharks, United Rugby Championship
• 21 March 2026 – Sharks vs Munster, United Rugby Championship
• 27 March 2026 – Sharks vs Cardiff Rugby, United Rugby Championship
In an official statement the disciplinary body said: “South Africa number 19, Eben Etzebeth, appeared before an independent Disciplinary Committee via video link having received a red card for an act of foul play contrary to Law 9.12 in the match between South Africa and Wales on Saturday 22 November 2025.
“Having considered the Player’s and other evidence and reviewed the footage, and for the reasons set out in the full written decision [which is available now in the discipline section of the Six Nations Rugby website], the Disciplinary Committee have determined that contact with the eye was intentional and a mid-range entry point of eighteen weeks/matches was appropriate.
“Some mitigating factors, including the Player’s previous record, were applied by the Committee reducing the eighteen week entry point by six weeks to twelve weeks/matches.”