'Repeat offender' Makazole Mapimpi's Springbok tour hopes dashed

Double Rugby World Cup winner Makazole Mapimpi has been suspended for five matches as a result of the a 20-minute red card he received in the Sharks’ 34-26 defeat to Ulster in Durban last weekend.

Shortly after scoring a try, the winger followed team-mate, Vincent Koch, into the sin-bin, also for a tip tackle on Michael Lowry, in the 55th minute of the game.

In their deliberations, the disciplinary panel took Mapimpi’s poor disciplinary record into consideration, highlighting the red cards he received in 2023 and 2025.

As a result, the sanction was only brought down by one game from the original low-end, six-game entry point for contravening Law 9.18 – a player must not lift an opponent off the ground and drop or drive that player so that their head and/or upper body make contact with the ground.

In the player’s responses to the judicial officer overseeing the disciplinary process, he had accepted that he had committed an act of foul play which warranted a red card, which led to the one week mitigation.

Two days ago, Mapimpi was included on the 10-strong standby list for the Springboks’ November tour. As he will now be unavailable for the first four games against Japan, France, Italy and Ireland, head coach Rassie Erasmus may draft another outside back in.

Should Erasmus decide to remove the 35-year-old from the list altogether – bearing in mind he is only available for the clash against Wales in Cardiff on 20 November – it could signal the end of his Springbok career.

If so, it would be a hugely disappointing way for Mapimpi to bow out of the Test arena.

Fixtures Makazole Mapimpi is unavailable for:
Hollywoodbets Sharks v Scarlets, 25 October 2025 BKT URC
South Africa v Japan, 1 November 2025, Castle Lager Outgoing Tour
France v South Africa, 8 November 2025, Quilter Nations Series
Italy v South Africa, 15 November 2025, Quilter Nations Series
Ireland v South Africa, 22 November 2025, Quilter Nations Series