All Blacks prop Ethan de Groot will be free to play in the Highlanders’ final Super Rugby Pacific match of the season after avoiding a citing for an incident over the weekend.
The loosehead, an important figure in the national squad, appeared to headbutt Crusaders lock Jamie Hannah during Friday’s 15-12 loss.
In the first half, De Groot cleared out Hannah before appearing to drive his head into the Crusader while he was on the ground and unprotected.
No Review by TMO
The incident went unnoticed by the television match official and has not been cited retrospectively. Super Rugby confirmed on Monday that no incidents had been referred for disciplinary review.
After a clip of the moment was shared online by New Zealand journalist Jamie Wall, fans drew parallels with Bakkies Botha’s infamous headbutt on Jimmy Cowan from 15 years ago.
That moment, which occurred early in a Tri-Nations match after Cowan pulled back Botha, also went unpunished during the game. However, the Springbok lock was later hit with a nine-week ban following public backlash.
One fan reacted to the De Groot incident on X (formerly Twitter), saying: “Bakkies almost did time in jail for that same.”
Comparison with Six Nations Incident
The incident also echoes one earlier this year involving France’s Peato Mauvaka, who headbutted Scotland’s Ben White during the Six Nations finale. Mauvaka was sin-binned and later received a three-match suspension.
In De Groot’s case, the citing commissioner determined the act did not meet the threshold for a red card, meaning it did not advance to the disciplinary panel.
Had he been suspended, De Groot would have missed the Highlanders’ final game and potentially part of the All Blacks’ mid-year series against France.
A four-game ban would have sidelined him for all three July Tests, but Scott Robertson now has him available for selection—should he choose to pick him. While De Groot was a vital player under former coach Ian Foster, his 2024 campaign was inconsistent, and he has yet to hit top form for the Highlanders in 2025.
