Lowe Receives Two-Week Suspension

Leinster winger James Lowe faced a disciplinary hearing today via video conference and has been banned for two weeks following his red card during last Saturday’s GUINNESS PRO14 derby defeat to Munster in Limerick.

A disciplinary committee met in Neath, Wales to consider the red card decision against James Lowe, which occurred against Munster at a sold-out Thomond Park. He was sent off by referee Frank Murphy under law 9.17 – a player must not tackle, charge, pull, push or grasp an opponent whose feet are off the ground.

The incident occurred in the 32nd minute of the round 12 fixture between the provinces where Lowe was deemed to have committed an act of foul play against an airborne Andrew Conway. At the hearing, the New Zealander accepted that he had committed an act of foul play and that his actions warranted a red card.

The all-Welsh disciplinary committee, comprising of Roger Morris (chair), Ray Wilton and Rhian Williams, concluded that the Leinster winger had committed an act of foul play, that that act of foul play warranted a red card and so the referee’s decision to issue the red card was not wrong.

The committee deemed the act warranted a low-end entry point of four weeks, which was reduced by 50% due to the player’s clean disciplinary record and the conduct of the player and Leinster Rugby throughout the process. 

The committee therefore banned Lowe for a period of two weeks meaning that he is free to play from midnight on Sunday, January 13. The 26-year-old, who will miss Leinster’s upcoming home games against Ulster and Toulouse, was reminded of his right to appeal.