The 2023 World Rugby Player of the Year nominee received a six-game suspension and two suspended games after an independent disciplinary committee hearing found he “became involved with the match official team after the match on a number of occasions”.
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Aki, 35, will miss Connacht’s URC match against Zebre this weekend and Ireland’s Six Nations matches against France, Italy and England.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Irish Rugby Union (IRFU) confirmed that Aki had not traveled to Ireland’s pre-tournament training camp in Portugal and said it would investigate the matter internally.
In confirming the sanction, the URC said it recognized Aki’s “complete remorse for his actions and was grateful for the approach he took to the process”.
“However, given the player’s previous disciplinary history (including incidents of a similar nature) and his failure to plead guilty in this case, the Independent Committee was unable to apply mitigation to the sanction,” the statement added.
More to follow.