Ardie Savea could be suspended after it was decided that his gesture in the Super Rugby match against the Rebels was against the spirit of good sportsmanship.
Savea is alleged to have contravened Law 9.27: A player must not do anything that is against the spirit of good sportsmanship, during the match between the Rebels and Hurricanes at AAMI Park in Melbourne.
The Hurricanes No 8 was yellow carded towards the end of the first half of the match, after a scuffle broke out between the two teams. When making his way off the field, he drew his thumb across his throat towards a Rebels player.
The incident sparked a massive debate on social media, with many suggesting Savea’s yellow should have been upgraded to a red card.
Savea apologised for his actions after the game, but but his actions have still landed him in trouble.
Upon further review of the match footage, the citing commissioner deemed in his opinion the incident had met the red card threshold for foul play.
The case will be considered by the SANZAAR Foul Play Review Committee on Monday via video conference.
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