Crusaders rookie Kurtis MacDonald handed four-game ban for dangerous play

Kurtis MacDonald will miss the remaining two games of the Crusaders’ regular season and the beginning of any potential playoff involvement while serving a four-game ban.

The suspension was handed down at a judicial committee hearing on Tuesday evening, which took place following the red card that MacDonald received three minutes into his cameo off the bench against the Blues last Friday.

MacDonald was found guilty of dangerous play (Law 9.17) for making contact with Blues first five-eighth Stephen Perofeta in the air and causing the All Black to land dangerously.

The judicial committee concluded that the act merited a ban with an entry point of eight games, which was then reduced to four, taking into account MacDonald’s disciplinary record, acceptance of wrongdoing, and remorse. He will therefore miss the Crusaders’ round 15 and 16 fixtures against the Chiefs and Hurricanes, then two further playoff games, should the Crusaders progress. This week’s bye does not count towards the ban period.

The round 13 contest was just MacDonald’s third Super Rugby Pacific appearance, and the Crusaders were leading by a margin of 31-13 when he was sent from the field. The Blues capitalised on the 21-year-old’s absence and the yellow card to Jack Sexton two minutes later by scoring their only points of the second half, but that was followed by a try to George Bell, leading to a final score of 36-10 in favour of the Crusaders.

The Crusaders sit fourth on the Super Rugby Pacific table heading into the round 14 bye, with their place in the playoffs not yet secure.