Lappies Labuschagne will miss the start of the World Cup after the SA-born Japan loose forward and former captain was suspended for three weeks.

The 34-year-old has been banned for three matches, having received a red card in Japan’s World Cup warm-up match against Fiji in Tokyo on 5 August.

He appeared before an independent judicial committee on Thursday, and under Law 9.13, after they considered his submissions and reviewed all available evidence, found that the red card threshold had been met and it was therefore upheld.

MORE: How Rassie changed my life – Kleyn

“The Committee noted that the offence carries a mandatory mid-range sanction [six matches] and having considered the mitigating factors reduced the sanction by the maximum mitigation of 50 percent,” read a World Rugby statement. 

Labuschagne, who led the Brave Blossoms to their best World Cup finish in 2019 after exiting to eventual winners, the Springboks, in the quarter-finals, is set to miss Japan’s last warm-up against Italy, as well as Pool D matches with Chile and England.

However, he intends to apply to take part in the World Rugby Coaching Intervention Programme to substitute the final match of the sanction.

Photo: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP