Springbok, Sharks wing Makazole Mapimpi hit with five-match ban

The veteran winger was given his marching orders in the 55th minute of the 34-26 defeat to Ulster in Durban on Saturday, the Sharks' fourth successive loss to start the new season.

To rub salt in the wounds, the double Rugby World Cup winner will now miss the Durbanites' second home game of the season against the Scarlets this weekend and four of the Springboks' five end-of-year tour internationals.

The URC confirmed the wingers' suspension on Wednesday following the conclusion of the disciplinary process.

"After an act of foul play by Hollywoodbets Sharks player No 11 (Makazole Mapimpi), referee Ben Whitehouse showed the Player a Red Card in the 55th minute of the game under 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," the statement read.

"In the Player's responses to the Judicial Officer overseeing the disciplinary process (Sheriff Kathrine Mackie), he had accepted that he had committed an act of foul play which warranted a Red Card.

"Sheriff Mackie found that the incident met the Red Card threshold, with entry point of low-end warranting six weeks. The Player received two Red Cards in 2023 and 2025, and cannot be said to have a clean disciplinary record. The Player received one week mitigation after acknowledging and accepting act of foul play was committed which results in a five-game suspension."

The shining light for the Sharks is that Mapimpi will miss just one fixture for the club, with the Springboks' fixtures contributing to his ban, puzzlingly so.

Mapimpi was not named in Rassie Erasmus' squad for the November internationals against Japan, France, Italy, Ireland and Wales, but was included on the standby list and would be called in the event of an injury.

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