Uruguay star handed 13-game ban for knee-breaking tackle

Uruguayan hooker Joaquín Myszka has been handed a 13-game ban for a red-card offence that left Chile’s Emilio Shea Duret seriously injured, eight days after the incident.

The incident happened in the second half of the Chile XV and Uruguay XV match for the Americas Rugby Championship, in which the Los Teros secondary team lost 33-12.

At the 52nd minute, Myszka made a low no-arms tackle to the opposing prop that resulted in a serious injury, forcing the game to be stopped for several minutes until Shea Duret was carried off the field.

Match official Federico Longobardi then showed a red card to Joaquín Myszka, with a scuffle following. With play halted for several minutes, the officiating team waited for order to be restored before taking any further disciplinary action. Longobardi then ejected Chile’s Clemente Saavedra and Uruguay’s Lucas Bianchi from the game after determining that both were responsible for sparking the incident.

The following week, South America Rugby confirmed Myszka’s suspension. Initially set at 26 weeks, the ban was reduced to 13 weeks after the disciplinary panel considered several mitigating factors, including the player’s admission of guilt and a formal apology.

Although initial reports suggested Chile would appeal the decision, on Saturday, September 5, the country confirmed it accepted the final suspension ruling, thereby putting the matter to rest.

The Chilean Rugby Union confirmed that Shea Duret will undergo two surgeries following the incident. In its official statement, the union expressed hope that the player will be fit for the next Rugby World Cup, though his recovery timeline is expected to leave little margin before the tournament begins.

As for Joaquín Myszka, the hooker will miss the remainder of the Americas Rugby Championship and the Uruguayan club season, as well as the November Nations Cup window.

After scoring seven tries in July, the 24-year-old will miss Uruguay’s November tour of the Northern Hemisphere, where Los Teros are scheduled to face Spain, Zimbabwe, and Portugal. He is set to return in mid-2027, in time to contend for a spot in the Los Teros squad for the next World Cup.