SportsCatch
EN

Ackermann handed three-match ban after red card mars Stormers' URC semi-final exit

Stormers No.8 Ruan Ackermann has been suspended for three matches after his red card in the 21-12 URC semi-final defeat to Leinster, ruling him out of the Currie Cup's opening rounds. A guilty plea and clean record halved the original six-week sanction.

1 min read
Ackermann handed three-match ban after red card mars Stormers' URC semi-final exit
Share

Ruan Ackermann will miss the opening stages of the 2026 Currie Cup after being handed a three-match ban stemming from his red card in the Stormers’ 21-12 URC semi-final defeat to Leinster last week.

The No.8 was initially yellow-carded in the 69th minute for a dangerous clearout on Leinster hooker Ronan Kelleher, a decision referee Hollie Davidson subsequently upgraded to a red. The incident came with the Stormers trailing by just two points, making the dismissal all the more costly in the context of the match.

During the disciplinary hearing overseen by judicial officer Simon Thomas, Ackermann admitted he had committed foul play that warranted a red card. His guilty plea, combined with a previously clean disciplinary record, saw the original six-week sanction reduced by half to three matches.

The suspension means the former Gloucester forward will be absent for the Stormers XXIII’s Currie Cup fixtures against Griquas, Boland and the Sharks. However, he could return in time for the Sharks match if he successfully completes World Rugby’s Coaching Intervention Programme.

Share
{# Sitewide native fullscreen interstitial — our own bet-CTA card blown up to a takeover (replaces the SDK overlay). The shared card animations + countdown load once, AFTER the interstitial markup, so the countdown script's first tick sees this card's node too (the in-read card, in
above, already exists). One include covers both surfaces. #}