Sharks scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse was handed a three-match ban, reduced from six matches for showing genuine remorse, for elbowing British and Irish Lions fullback Liam Williams last weekend.
World Rugby announced the decision on Wednesday, which ruled the No 9 out for upcoming Currie Cup matches against the Pumas this Friday, the Bulls and Cheetahs.
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Referee Wayne Barnes showed Hendrikse a deserved straight red card after the incident, which killed the Sharks' fight and condemned the team to their 71-31 defeat to the Lions.
"The independent disciplinary committee chaired by Stephen Hardy (Australia), joined by former internationals John Langford (Australia) and David Croft (Australia), heard the case and were presented with all available evidence, including multiple broadcast angles and submissions from the player and his representatives," the World Rugby statement said.
"The player admitted that he had committed an act of foul play worthy of a red card. Having reviewed and considered all of the available evidence before the committee, the committee deemed that the player had breached Law 9.12 in that he had physically struck British and Irish Lions No 15 Liam Williams with his elbow / forearm, connecting with Mr Williams’s head / neck area.
"As there had been contact with Mr Williams’s head / neck area, the committee applied World Rugby’s mandatory minimum mid-range entry point for foul play. This resulted in a starting point of a six-match suspension.
"Having acknowledged various mitigating factors including the player’s clear and genuine remorse, early acknowledgment of culpability, apology given directly to both Mr Williams and the referee and exemplary disciplinary record to date, the committee reduced the six-match entry point by three weeks, resulting in a sanction of three weeks being imposed."
World Rugby added that Hendrikse had 48 hours to appeal the decision.
Meanwhile, the Lions next face the SA 'A' side at Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday (20:00 kick-off).
