Overview
- Referee Ben Whitehouse upgraded a 55th-minute yellow to a red for a tip tackle on Ulster fullback Michael Lowry under law 9.18.
- Judicial officer Sheriff Kathrine Mackie deemed the offence at the low-end entry point of six weeks, reduced by one week for the player's acceptance of foul play.
- Mapimpi’s disciplinary record, including red cards in 2023 and January 2025 for eye-gouging, weighed against further mitigation.
- He will miss the Sharks’ URC game against Scarlets on 25 October and four Springbok Tests against Japan, France, Italy and Ireland in November.
- The winger was named on South Africa’s standby list rather than the main squad, so his suspension removes him from early tour selection options.