Rory Arnold cleared to resume playing
GWK Griquas lock Rory Arnold was cleared to resume playing on Monday, 9 September 2013, after his appeal against a conviction for biting was overturned by a SARU disciplinary committee.
Arnold was suspended for seven matches on Wednesday for allegedly biting Toyota Free State Cheetahs replacement hooker Ethienne Reynecke on the arm in the 62nd minute of their Absa Currie Cup clash in Bloemfontein last Saturday.
Arnold pleaded not guilty to the charge and in his defence said that the downward pressure on his head, while trying to cross the tryline with his mouth open, had caused the marks on the arm of the Cheetahs player.
However, the Judicial Officer made the decision "on the balance of probabilities and relying particularly on the victim's immediate and spontaneous reactions and the doctor's evidence."
Arnold's appeal was heard at SARU House in Cape Town on Monday. The committee ruled that there was a possibility that the bite mark could have been caused by the downward pressure applied on Arnold's head, and in turn on Reynecke's arm, while trying to score the try with his mouth open.
Arnold is free to resume playing with immediate effect.
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