Sport

All Blacks Sevens won't appeal eye gouging sentence

18:42 pm on 27 January 2014

The New Zealand rugby sevens coach Gordon Tietjens says they won't be appealing the nine game suspension given to Canterbury's Sam Dickson for eye gouging.

Dickson missed this morning's final of the Las Vegas tournament which New Zealand lost 14-7 to South Africa and will also miss the Wellington tournament in a couple of weeks.

In winning the Las Vegas tournament South Africa knock New Zealand off the top of the IRB series championship after four rounds.

Tietjens says he doesn't believe there was any intent by Dickson in the incident which happened in New Zealand's final pool game win over Fiji.

But he says even if they appealed and Dickson's suspension was reduced he still wouldn't be able to take a full part in the Wellington tournament.