Glasgow forward Henco Venter handed six-week ban for Dan Cole clash

Glasgow forward Henco Venter has been handed a six-week ban after admitting making contact with the eye of Leicester prop Dan Cole.

The South African is out of Glasgow’s Investec Champions Cup quarter-final against Leinster in Dublin on Friday and would also miss the semi-finals.

The 33-year-old is also set to miss the rest of the regular BKT United Rugby Championship season.

Defeat in Europe could even mean Venter has played his final game for the club ahead of his summer move to Brive.

The back-row forward would need to hope Warriors progress beyond the URC play-off quarter-finals in that instance, although he still has hopes of making it a glorious end to his two-year stay in Scotland as Franco Smith’s side chase silverware on two fronts.

Venter was cited to European Professional Club Rugby by match citing commissioner Adrien Menez following Glasgow’s 43-19 victory over Leicester in the Champions Cup on Saturday night.

The Tigers reportedly lodged a complaint over the incident, which happened in the second minute of the match at Scotstoun.

Footage showed Cole had his arm around the back of Venter’s neck before the former Cheetahs and Sharks player’s left hand briefly made contact with the face of the 116-cap England international while the pair were on the ground.

An independent disciplinary committee decided Venter had made reckless but not intentional contact with the eye.

An EPCR statement read: “Venter accepted he had committed an act of foul play, and that it would have warranted a red card, but that it was not intentional.

“It was decided that the offending was at the mid-range of World Rugby’s sanctions, and 12 weeks was selected as the appropriate entry point.

“Taking into account the player’s timely acceptance that he had committed an act of foul play that would have warranted a red card, his expression of remorse, clean disciplinary record and good conduct and full participation in the disciplinary hearing, the independent disciplinary committee decided to reduce the sanction by the maximum of 50% before imposing a six-week suspension.

“The precise matches to which the sanction applies is subject to confirmation of the club’s upcoming fixture list.

“Both the player and EPCR have the right to appeal the decision.”