Irish rugby star Bundee Aki is set to miss Ireland's crucial Six Nations opener against France next week, with the Connacht centre facing a formal misconduct hearing over an alleged confrontation with match officials.
Misconduct Complaint Lodged After Leinster Defeat
The United Rugby Championship (URC) confirmed in an official statement that a misconduct complaint has been made against the 35-year-old centre. The complaint relates to incidents that allegedly occurred after Connacht's recent defeat to provincial rivals Leinster last Saturday.
The URC statement indicated that Aki is alleged to have engaged with the match official team on multiple occasions following the final whistle, in a manner that "may be deemed to be in breach of the league's Disciplinary Rules."
Training Camp Absence and Potential Ban
Aki has reportedly not travelled to Portugal to join Andy Farrell's Ireland squad for their pre-tournament training camp, with the misconduct hearing taking precedence. Any resulting ban could sideline the experienced centre for some or all of Ireland's Six Nations campaign, which begins against defending champions France in Paris on Thursday 5 February.
The potential absence represents a significant blow to Ireland's midfield options, particularly with Robbie Henshaw already ruled out through injury. Aki made one start for Ireland during the November internationals and appeared twice as a replacement, having recently completed his second British and Irish Lions tour to Australia last summer.
Midfield Alternatives for Ireland
With Aki likely unavailable, Ulster's Stuart McCloskey appears the favourite to start at inside centre alongside Garry Ringrose. McCloskey wore the number 12 jersey twice during the autumn internationals before suffering a groin injury.
Other centre options within Andy Farrell's squad include Tom Farrell, Jamie Osborne and Ciaran Frawley, though the absence of both Aki and Henshaw significantly reduces Ireland's experienced midfield resources ahead of their championship opener against the French.
The timing of the misconduct hearing and potential suspension could not be worse for Ireland, who face a challenging start to their Six Nations campaign against the tournament favourites in Paris. The disciplinary process will now determine whether Aki's alleged actions warrant a suspension that would keep him out of international action during the championship's crucial opening rounds.
