Saffa URC champ cops six-week suspension

Henco Venter has been found guilty of eye-gouging, ruling him out for Glasgow Warriors’ remaining Vodacom URC league fixtures and Friday’s Investec Champions Cup playoff.

The six-week ban follows an incident in the Warriors’ round-of-16 Champions Cup win against Leicester Tigers last week, where No 8 Venter made contact with the eye area of prop Dan Cole.

Glasgow, second on the URC log, are scheduled to face Zebre Parma (April 19), Vodacom Bulls (April 25), Benetton (May 10) and Leinster (May 17) in the last rounds of the league stages.

Should the Warriors progress past this week’s Champions Cup quarter-final against Leinster, Venter would also miss the semi-final over the weekend of 2-4 May.

An independent disciplinary committee determined that Venter’s actions constituted reckless contact with the eye under Law 9.12. While the player accepted committing an act of foul play warranting a red card, he maintained it wasn’t intentional.

MORE: World Rugby won’t ban Bomb Squad

The committee assessed the offense at mid-range severity, carrying a 12-week entry point. However, they reduced the sanction by 50% – the maximum allowable – considering Venter’s clean disciplinary record, remorse, and full cooperation during the hearing.

Leicester filed an official complaint regarding the incident, which occurred when a maul collapsed near the tryline. Video footage shows Cole lying face down with his arm around Venter’s head before the South African loose forward apparently reached forward and made contact with his eye.

Venter scored two tries in Glasgow’s 43-19 victory and was named Man of the Match as the Warriors advanced to the last eight and a trip to Dublin.

The former Sharks and Cheetahs powerhouse has been a standout since joining Glasgow in 2023, playing a key role in their URC title triumph last season. 

His suspension comes as a big blow to Franco Smith’s side, particularly with 33-year-old Venter set to depart for French club Brive at season’s end.

Photo: Ewan Bootman/SNS Group via Getty Images