All Blacks ace cops ban after red card for lifting tackle
All Blacks star Mark Tele’a has received a ban for his lifting tackle on Tim Ryan in the Queensland Reds 35-21 win over the Blues on Friday night.
The Super Rugby Pacific Foul Play Review Committee (FPRC) found Tele’a guilty of a lifting tackle in contravention of Law 9.18 and he will miss three games after gaining a 50 percent reduction in his ban.
Tele’a was found guilty of a tip tackle on Ryan in the 31st minute. He received a yellow card that was upgraded to red and saw the Blues playing with 14 against 15 for the final 10 minutes of the first half and the first 10 minutes of the second half.
Mark Tele’a. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
The FPRC determined the low-range entry point of six weeks/matches was appropriate for the incident. In light of the player accepting he committed an act of foul play as well as mitigating factors such as his prior disciplinary record, the FPRC applied the full 50 per cent reduction in sanction.
Tele’a has been suspended from all forms of the game for three weeks, which will apply to the following Super Rugby Pacific matches:
- Blues v Western Force, Friday 2 May 2025
- Fijian Drua v Blues, Friday 9 May 2025
- Moana Pasifika v Blues, Saturday 17 May 2025
