Frank Lomani of Fijian Drua leaves the field. Photo: Robert Cianflone
Fijian Drua halfback Frank Lomani has been slapped with a six-week ban for his elbow strike on the back of Josh Canham's head.
The incident happened during the Drua's match with the Melbourne Rebels on Friday night at AAMI Park, which saw Lomani shown a straight red card by referee Damon Murphy.
The Rebels won the match 41-20 after being down 20-8 at halftime.
Despite Canham wearing headgear, the strike was powerful enough to leave the lock visibly bleeding post-match. Elbow strikes to the back of the head are considered to be so dangerous they are banned in the UFC.
RNZ sports journalist Jamie Wall discusses the incident
The case was referred to Super Rugby's Foul Play Review Committee, where it was assessed as a top-end offence under law 9.12.
"The entry point for the offence was 10 weeks (assessed as top-end range for intentional and deliberate physical abuse of striking with an elbow to the back of the victim player's head and causing injury, where the victim player was in an incredibly vulnerable position with limited ability, if any, to defend himself)," FPRC Chairman Stephen Hardy ruled.
"The player was given a discount for entering an early guilty plea (and other relevant mitigating factors), reducing the suspension from 10 weeks to six weeks. The player is therefore suspended up to and including 26 May 2024."
Frank Lomani's elbow to the head of Josh Canham. Photo: Sky Sport
That means Lomani will be out until the final round of the regular season, against the Rebels in Lautoka. The incident also resulted in an alleged racial abuse incident after Lomani left the field, with Drua coach Mick Byrne it was a "disgrace" and calling for the fan to be banned from the stadium for life.
Meanwhile, Drua prop Jone Koroiduadua was very lucky his headbutt on Alex Mafi later in the game barely connected as his two-week ban means he only misses one game, given the Drua have a bye this weekend.
"The player's head appears to have made limited contact with the head of the victim player and rather made contact with the chest area of the victim player. There was also no injury to the victim player," Hardy ruled.
Koroiduadua's spotless record before the incident helped reduce what could have been a six-week ban.
"The FPRC considered a sanction of three weeks would have been wholly disproportionate to the level and type of offending involved and applied a further reduction of one week to the sanction, resulting in a total sanction of two weeks," Hardy said.
The Drua are currently sitting seventh on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder and will host the Hurricanes in Suva in their next match on 19 April.