Freddie Steward’s controversial red card against Ireland rescinded

Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Freddie Steward’s controversial red card against Ireland has been rescinded, with a disciplinary committee ruling that referee Jaco Peyper was wrong to send off the England full-back. Peyper had reached a red card ruling in consultation with his television match official, saying that there was “no mitigation” for a challenge that carried a “high level of danger”. A statement from the Six Nations said: “Having reviewed all the evidence, the Committee decided that: head contact with an opposing player had occurred; there had been an act of foul play in breach of Law 9.11 in that the Player had been reckless in his actions and in his upright positioning as he approached and came into highly dangerous contact with the other player; and there were sufficient mitigating factors including the late change in the dynamics and positioning of the opposing player which should have resulted in the issue of a yellow card rather than a red card. “On that basis, the Committee did not uphold the red card and the player is free to play again immediately.