Glasgow's Henco Venter banned for 'reckless contact' with Dan Cole

Henco Venter might have played his last game for Glasgow Warriors after the No.8 received a six-week ban for making reckless contact with Dan Cole’s eye.

Venter was cited following an incident that occurred during Glasgow’s 43-19 Investec Champions Cup round of 16 victory against Leicester Tigers last weekend.

Footage appeared to show the South African’s left hand briefly make contact with Cole’s face as they grappled on the floor in the third minute of the match at Scotstoun.

Venter appeared in front of an independent disciplinary committee via video conference on Tuesday and admitted he had committed an act of foul play, which would have warranted a red card had the match officials spotted it.

The committee, which comprised Richard Whittam KC (England, Chair), Ken Owens (Wales), and Marcello d’Orey (Portugal), heard evidence and submissions from the player and his representatives, and from the EPCR disciplinary officer, Liam McTiernan.

It was determined that Venter had made reckless – rather than intentional – contact with the eye and that the level of offending was at the mid-range of World Rugby’s sanctions.

That meant Venter faced a 12-week suspension but his “timely acceptance that he had committed an act of foul play that would have warranted a red card, his expression of remorse, clean disciplinary record and good conduct and full participation in the disciplinary hearing” ensured that penalty was halved to six.

Venter will miss Friday’s Champions Cup quarter-final against Leinster and given he is due to leave Glasgow for Brive at the end of the season, may have already played his final game in the club’s colours.

Four regular season matches remain in the United Rugby Championship, meaning that if Glasgow lose this week then he would not be eligible to return to action until the semi-finals, should his side make it that far.

Warriors currently sit second in the URC table and need only three points from the final four matches to guarantee their place in the quarter-finals.

Meanwhile, Castres will be without centre Adrien Seguret against Northampton on Saturday after he was suspended for three weeks for his red card during the round of 16 win against Benetton.

Seguret was sent off in the 43rd minute at Stade Pierre Fabre for a dangerous tackle on opposition fly-half Tomas Albornoz.