New Zealand captain Sam Cane has received a three-match ban for his red card in the World Cup final defeat to South Africa, but will miss only two matches if he completes tackle school.

Cane was sent off, after a TMO Bunker review, in the 28th minute for a high tackle on Springboks centre Jesse Kriel and had to watch on as his All Blacks side valiantly fought back with 14 men, only to suffer an agonising 12-11 defeat at the Stade de France in Paris.

Related: What is tackle school?

Flanker Cane has opted to take up the sabbatical clause in his NZR contract and will join Suntory Sungoliath in Japan for the 2024 season from the Chiefs, while remaining available for the All Blacks next year.

Cane’s three-match ban will be reduced to two upon completion of World Rugby’s coaching intervention programme, commonly known as ‘tackle school’. He was the first man to ever be sent off in a World Cup final.

Read more: Hurting Sam Cane reacts to World Cup final red card

Before this year’s match, only New Zealander Ben Smith had been shown a card in a men’s final when he was sin-binned against Australia at Twickenham in 2015. However, Cane’s fellow flanker Shannon Frizell saw yellow after just three minutes and South Africa’s Siya Kolisi and Cheslin Kolbe were both sin-binned in the second half by referee Wayne Barnes, who has since retired.

Sam Cane ban explained

Cane – who admitted he will have to live with the red card forever – accepted he had committed an act of foul play but disagreed that the offence merited a red card. However, the independent disciplinary committee found “there was no mitigation available to bring the degree of danger below the red card threshold.”

The mandatory minimum entry point of six weeks was reduced by 50% on account of Cane’s previous exemplary disciplinary record and early admittance of foul play and clear remorse.

He will miss Suntory’s fixtures against Toshiba on 18 November and Panasonic on 25 November.

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