Springbok centre Jaque Fourie is set to appeal his four-week ban for a spear tackle on All Black Ma’a Nonu.

Springboksenter Jaque Fourie gaan apel aanteken teen sy vier-week skorsing as gevolg van ‘n boorvat op All Black, Ma’a Nonu.

According to sources, Jaque Fourie believes that the judicial officer who banned him on Sunday, following South Africa’s 32 / 9 win over New Zealand in Hamilton, was wrong to rule that he had breached rule 10.4 (i) with his tackle. Jaque also denies that the tackle was intentional or justified a mid-range entry offence for the sanction.

It was initially thought that Jaque had pleaded guilty in his hearing, but this has been refuted since.

At this stage it is not clear when or how the appeal hearing will take place. In a case like this it is normally done via a video conference.

Should it be scheduled as a video conference, it could take place in the next few days.

Once again the issue was raised about the fairness of judicial practices against SA players when South African Rugby Players’ Association (SARPA) chief executive Piet Heymans expressed his disappointment about the length of Fourie’s suspension.

Heymans said “The players would like to see more consistency when it comes to sanctions for this kind of transgression. There have been precedents that point to shorter suspensions.”

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Volgens Bronne word beweer dat Jaque Fourie glo dat die regsbeampte wat hom Sondag geskors het, na Suid-Afrika se 32 / 29 wen teen Nieu Seeland in Hamilton, verkeerd was deur te bevind dat hy Reël 10.4 (i) met sy duikslag oortree het. Jaque ontken ook dat sy duikslag met opset was of dat dit voldoen aan die sanksie vir middel-orde oortredings.

Daar was aanvanklik gedink dat Jaque skuldig gepleit het tydens sy verhoor maar dis intussen ontken.

Op hierdie stadium is dit nie duidelik wanneer of op welke wyse die appélverhoor sal plaasvind nie. In ‘n geval soos hierdie word dit gewoonlik bewerkstellig deur middel van ‘n videokonferensie.

Indien dit gaan plaasvind as ‘n videokonferensie, sal dit binne die volgende paar dae plaasvind.

Weereens word die regverdigheid van die geregtelike proses teen SA spelers bevraagteken met die verklaring van die Suid-Afrikaanse Spelersvereniging (SARPA) se hoof-uitvoerende beampte, Piet Heymans, wie sy teleurstelling uitgespreek het oor die lengte van Fourie se skorsing.

Heymans het gesê dat die spelers graag meer konsekwentheid sal wil sien met betrekking tot hierdie soort insidente. Hy het voorts gesê daar is presedente wat dui op korter skorsings.