Blues wing Matt Duffie has escaped a ban for a red card.
Blues wing Matt Duffie has escaped a suspension after the first red card of his Super Rugby career.
The 26-year-old rugby league convert was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in the Blue's 30-22 loss to the Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday.
Duffie's first yellow came for repeated team infringing - four successive penalties early in the match. His second for diving on a player on the ground.
A Sanzaar judicial committee has upheld the red card but said it did not warrant further punishment.
Sanzaar said in a statement on Monday the foul play review committee had accepted Duffie's guilty plea.
The committee comprising Nigel Hampton QC (chairman), Stefan Terblanche and Stephen Hardy assessed the case.
"Having conducted a detailed review of all the available evidence, including all camera angles, as well as the player's explanations of both incidents and submissions from his legal representative, Aaron Lloyd, the foul play review committee upheld the red card," Hampton said in a statement.
"With respect to sanction the committee ruled, after considering a number of factors, including the effect of the Red Card both on the match and on the player's team, and [Duffie] being off the field for some 25 minutes for 'technical' offences, that the ordering off warranted no further sanction in these particular circumstances."
"The player is therefore free to play and will serve no additional suspension"
The Blues succumbed to second half pressure after losing Duffie with 14 minutes remaining.
Photo: Paul Seiser/ Photosport.nz