SUVA, 01 MAY 2019 (OCEANIA RUGBY) – After receiving a red card in game 1 of the 2019 Oceania Rugby U20s Championship, New Zealand v Fiji, Epeli Momo was required to attend a hearing before a Judicial Officer in accordance with the rules of the tournament.
Momo, entered an early guilty plea.
Law 9.18 states: 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.
Momo has been suspended for six (6) weeks up to and including 1st June 2019.
He will be suspended for match 4 against Australia, on the 30th April, and match 5 against Japan, on the 4th May, of the 2019 Oceania Rugby U20s Championship and 4 provincial matches on 11th, 18th and 25th May and 1st June.
Momo will be free to play at the 2019 U20 World Rugby Championship in Argentina where Fiji is due to play on the 5th June.
In his finding Judicial Officer Paul Tully accepted the mitigating factors presented by Momo.
