The commission blackout that could set Reece Hodge free
In a twist to the controversial banning of Wallaby winger Reece Hodge, it can be revealed Fiji flanker Peceli Yato’s long history of concussion was redacted from the commission’s report.
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The Fijian player that was concussed after his high-speed collision with Wallabies winger Reece Hodge at the World Cup has a history of head injuries.
Hodge was suspended for three matches after he was found guilty of committing an “act of foul play” when he tried to stop Peceli Yato and accidentally made contact with the Fijian’s head.
While the on field officials cleared Hodge of any wrongdoing after reviewing the footage, the Wallaby winger was cited after Fiji lodged a complaint after Yato failed a head injury assessment and was prevented from rejoining the match or playing in Fiji’s next game.
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But now it has emerged that Yato has had at least four serious head injuries, including one in the last year.
The independent tribunal that found Hodge guilty of foul play was given a medical report on Yato, which ultimately had no bearing on the verdict.
The commission’s full report into Hodge’s hearing has now been published. It includes the medical report but Yato’s history of head knocks was redacted.
Yato did provide his own statement on the clash, saying: “I ran down the left side of the field. As I came to Hodge, I lowered my height slightly in preparation for contact and to be ready to offload the ball.
“I did not expect his contact to be so high. From the moment he hit my face I blacked out and woke up when I was on my back.”
Hodge’s legal representatives argued that the contact he made with Yato’s head was “accidental and neither intentional nor reckless, but rather the consequence of “an unfortunate, forceful collision” and, therefore, not foul play.”
But their arguments were rejected as the three-man panel found against the Australian, prompting widespread criticism that the sport is being too tough on accidental breaches of the tough new regulations.
The rules were introduced to better protect players reduce head injuries but will, inevitably, raise questions about whether he should have been on the field in the first place.
Originally published as The commission blackout that could set Reece Hodge free