Waqaniburotu banned

FIJI’S Dominiko Waqaniburotu fell foul of tournament officials when he was banned for three weeks for a dangerous tackle on South Africa’s Pat Lambie in their match on Saturday.

The ban means the 25-year-old’s World Cup is effectively over unless Fiji embark on an unlikely run to the last four as he will not be eligible to return until October 10 — the day after the completion of the quarter-finals.

Samoa centre Eliota Sapolu Fuimaono escaped censure after apologising for a Twitter rant in which he said his side’s treatment by the IRB was “like slavery, like the holocaust, like apartheid” in reference to their playing schedule.