14 weeks for Rabeni

Tigers centre misses rest of the season after being given lengthy ban.

Last updated: 31st March 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

14 weeks for Rabeni

Rabeni: Lengthy ban

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Leicester centre Seru Rabeni's season is over after being handed a 14-week ban for making illegal contact with the eyes of Saracens' hooker Andy Kyriacou.

The powerful Fijian attended a hearing of the RFU's disciplinary panel chaired by His Honour Judge Jeff Blackett at the London Bloomsbury Holiday Inn.

Rabeni was found guilty of contact with Kyriacou during the game between the two sides on March 15, which the Tigers won 36-23 including a try from Rabeni.

The RFU have handed out such a lengthy ban to ensure that Rabeni will not play any further rugby this season for Leicester or in international matches for Fiji or the Pacific Islands.

Rabeni will now have to sit and watch as the Tigers go for the double in the EDF Energy Cup and the Guinness Premiership.

The loss will also be a big one for Leicester after Rabeni scored a try to help them beat Wasps in the semi-finals of the EDF Energy Cup, while he also crossed the line against the same opponents in a losing cause in the Premiership at the weekend.

Although a maximum suspension for eye gouging is two years, Rabeni's ban still represents one of the biggest handed out in the Premiership.

Northampton hooker Dylan Hartley received a 26-week ban for two cases of eye-gouging last season and missed out on an England tour and potential World Cup place because of it.

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