Danelle Lochner learns fate after Wales red card

Danelle Lochner is free to play immediately after her red card against Wales was rescinded by the Foul Play Review Committee.

The Harlequins lock received a 20-minute red card after a review in her team’s WXV Global Series 2026 loss to Wales in Cardiff.

In the Welsh capital, the Springbok Women lost 50-19 in their first fixture of WXV Global Series.

This weekend South Africa are looking to get back to winning ways against Italy in Pordenone.

A Foul Play Review Committee, chaired by Philippe Cavalieros [France], joined by former referees Donal Courtney [Ireland] and Juan Pablo Spirendelli [Argentina] gathered to consider Lochner’s red card.

The hearing took place on Tuesday 22 September, where evidence from the player was heard.

It was concluded that the incident did meet the red card threshold, but that there were mitigating circumstances.

It was therefore decided that the red card was to be dismissed and that Lochner was free to play immediately.

“We did ourselves no favours with our discipline,” Johannes-Haupt, Springbok Women co-head coach, said after her team’s loss to Wales.

“Wales really came hard at us in that first half and our response was not good enough. We conceded too many penalties and those two cards really cost us.

“Obviously, we did not prepare to play like that, so it was a huge disappointment for all of us, as we let ourselves down. That is not our standard and that is not the team we are.”

Yesterday, French pair Cloé Correa and Ambre Mwayembe received their disciplinary verdicts after red cards against Australia in Aix-en-Provence.

Correa received a straight-red card for making contact with the eye of an opponent, but after the review the act was found to be not direct or deliberate.

She will miss this weekend’s Test match against Canada in La Rochelle and their first Test against the Black Ferns in New Zealand.

Mwayembe received a 20-minute red card for a dangerous tackle. She has been banned for three games, which will be reduced by one game upon the successful conclusion of the coaching intervention programme.