Bath prop Beno Obana handed four-game ban after being sent off for dangerous tackle during Premiership Final defeat to Northampton

Bath prop Beno Obano must wait to discover when he will be cleared to play again, after being handed a four-game ban for the dangerous tackle which led to a red card in the Premiership Final.

The 29-year-old England loosehead was sent off just 21 minutes into the domestic showpiece after a high shot on Northampton No 8 Juarno Augustus. 

In his absence, the West Country club were edged out by the Saints, who clinched the league title after finishing top of the table.

Obano appeared before a three-man disciplinary panel via video link on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to foul play but disputed that the offence warranted a red card.

The panel, chaired by Matthew Weaver KC, concluded that the on-field sanction was appropriate, but reduced the six-week entry point suspension by two weeks due to the player’s remorse and good conduct. 

Obano can reduce the term by a further week if he completes a ‘tackle school’ course.

As it is now the off-season and fixtures for the next domestic campaign have yet to be confirmed, it is not yet clear when Obano will complete his period of suspension.

He was regarded as a contender for an England tour place, after an injury to Ellis Genge which created a squad vacancy, but national coach Steve Borthwick opted to summon Joe Marler for the crusade to Japan and New Zealand.

Meanwhile, Premiership Rugby are celebrating a successful climax to the 2023-24 English club campaign, with a peak audience of 1.25 million viewers for the final, a fastest ever sell-out of the Twickenham fixture and strong engagement across digital and social media platforms.