Rugby:David Attoub will have his appeal against a 70-week ban heard by an Independent Appeal Committee in London on Tuesday, March 2nd.
The Stade Français player was banned for making contact with the eye/eye area of Ulster’s Stephen Ferris during their Heineken Cup pool game at Ravenhill in December.
Attoub appealed “against both the finding of foul play and level of sanction” after an independent Disciplinary Hearing ruled the player guilty and in contravention of Law 10.4 (l).
Independent judicial officer Jeff Blackett, who imposed the suspension, decided Attoub’s offence was at the top end in terms of the level of seriousness.
Blackett described it as “the worst act of contact with the eyes I have had to deal with.” The 28-year-old prop is currently banned until April 22nd, 2011.
At the time Attoub protested his innocence and said he was “traumatised” by the ban.
Attoub’s Stade team-mate, France international scrumhalf Julien Dupuy, was banned for 24 weeks by Blackett for a gouging offence in the same Ulster match, also on Ferris.
Attoub’s appeal hearing in March will get under way from 12 noon.