Eben Etzebeth Breaks Silence After Suspension
South African forward Eben Etzebeth has spoken publicly about his 12-week suspension, imposed after an incident in which he was accused of contact in the eye area against Wales. The player, with almost 150 international matches with the Springboks, expressed his version of events through a post on Instagram. Etzebeth, who received his first red card in a match where the Boks were already dominating with a score of 73-0, shared his perspective on the incident. In his statement, the player takes responsibility for what happened, but also emphasizes the importance of context.In the publication, Etzebeth details what happened from his point of view, using video clips to explain his actions. The player clarifies that he did not intend to hit Mann in the face and that his reaction was in response to what he perceived as an action on his own face and neck. Etzebeth concludes his statement by explaining that his goal was to show how the events unfolded and to ensure that he never acted with the intention of causing harm. He acknowledges the consequences of his actions and expresses his regret for disappointing his followers and the sport. The player will be out of the courts until the end of March next year, which will prevent him from participating in a large part of the URC season and the European Champions Cup with the Sharks.I don’t want the young people who admire the Springboks to think it’s okay to make contact in someone’s eye area, because it’s not, but unfortunately mistakes happen and I made a big one for which I am sorry.
Eben Etzebeth
