South Africa’s rugby team has received a significant lift ahead of their November 22, 2025, Quilter Nations Series clash with Ireland in Dublin, following the successful appeal of Franco Mostert’s controversial red card from the previous weekend’s 32-14 victory over Italy in Turin.
The 34-year-old lock was dismissed in the 12th minute for an alleged high tackle on Italy’s fly-half Paolo Garbisi, reducing the world champions to 14 players for nearly the entire match—the second consecutive red card after Lood de Jager’s sending-off (and subsequent four-week ban) against France the prior week. Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus had expressed frustration over the decisions, noting the challenges of low tackles in modern play.
At an independent World Rugby disciplinary hearing on November 18 via video link, the committee ruled in Mostert’s favor under Law 9.13 (dangerous tackling). Their statement clarified: “The evidence established that the initial contact made by the player was directly to the shoulder of Italy 10 with there being ‘daylight’ between the shoulder contact and head/neck area of Italy 10. Head contact was then found to have occurred, but was found to be secondary to the initial shoulder contact and made with much lower force and without the requisite level of ‘danger’ required under World Rugby’s Head Contact Process to make the offending reach the red card threshold.”
The red card has been fully rescinded and expunged from Mostert’s record, downgrading it effectively to a yellow-card offense, allowing his availability for selection on Thursday.
This ruling intensifies scrutiny on World Rugby’s officiating and Head Contact Process, with similar high-profile rescissions this window for Ireland’s Tadhg Beirne and Japan’s Harry Hockings. For the Springboks, Mostert’s return bolsters their versatile forward pack as they aim to maintain their unbeaten November tour against a resurgent Ireland side.
