Duty Judicial Officer: Nicholas Davidson QC

Player: Nic Stirzaker

Team: Rebels

Position: Scrumhalf

Date of Incident: 13 February 2015

Nature of Offence: 10.4 (b) Stamping or trampling. A player must not stamp or trample an opponent.

Elapsed time in match when incident occurred: 3rd minute

The Duty Judicial Officer has accepted an acknowledgement of breach by Nic Stirzaker of the Rebels under Law 10.4 (b) Stamping or trampling. A player must not stamp or trample an opponent.

Stirzaker was cited after a Super Rugby match between the Crusaders and the Rebels at AMI Stadium, Christchurch on Friday 13 February 2015.

The player has been suspended from all forms of the game for one week up to and including Sunday 22 February 2015.

The Duty Judicial Officer, Nicholas Davidson QC, assessed the case and recorded:

"I took into account that the player admitted stamping which was accepted as reckless to the point of contact.

"I found the breach was clear on the evidence as the player paused and lifted his leg high, before applying a vertical stamp to the groin area, for which he had no tenable excuse or explanation.

"Crusaders No. 6 suffered minor grazing but was able to play on. Had injury of any consequence resulted, then the entry point for sanction would have been at least mid-range.

"The player has good disciplinary record and thus is entitled to a discount of one week from the two-week lower-end entry point, which results in a suspension of one week, up to and including Sunday 22 February 2015."