The IRFU are flying solicitor and former Irish rugby player Derek Hegarty to Japan to contest the red card that Bundee Aki received against Samoa yesterday.
Hegarty, who is 44, is a partner with William Fry and describes himself on LinkedIn as a 'Litigation partner specialising in commercial and regulatory disputes involving financial institutions'. The William Fry website states Hegarty appears in 'Best Lawyers 2019' under 'The Best Lawyers in Ireland' for litigation.
Aki will likely face a three-person disciplinary hearing on Monday for his dangerous tackle on Ulupano Seuteni. After ruling is given, the IRFU will have 48 hours to appeal the decision.
Hegarty has worked with the IRFU over disciplinary citings in the past. He represented Sean O'Brien when he was cleared of an alleged eye gouge on a Treviso player in 2010.
Andy Farrell was reluctant to say too much about Ireland's position regarding the red card at today's press conference.
"We haven't had the referee's report yet, so it's very hard to comment. We believe that in the next 36 hours, there will be a hearing so we'll see how that goes. We'll wait for the report," he said earlier today.
Hegarty, a scrum half, played rugby in secondary school with Terenure, where he won the Senior Cup in 1994. He was on the Ireland tour of South Africa in 1998 and appeared in one of the midweek fixtures. He played with Leinster, Munster and Leeds before retiring in 2004. He has worked with IRUPA and his firm advised the IRFU during the bidding process for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
