Leicester Tigers wing Chris Ashton available for Premiership semi-final against Sale

Leicester Tigers will have the services of Chris Ashton for the Gallagher Premiership semi-final against Sale after his red-card decision was overturned.

Ashton, who earlier announced that he will be retiring at the end of the ongoing campaign was sent-off in the 38th minute for a high tackle on Harlequins wing Cadan Murley.

Having appeared before a Rugby Football Union disciplinary committee in a hearing that also saw Murley present, the panel deemed the 36-year-old's act was limited to yellow card giving Ashton an opportunity to end his career on a high.

"Mr Ashton accepted committing an act of foul play that would have merited a yellow card," said Panel chair Gareth Graham.

"Having seen and heard all the evidence, including that of Mr Murley, who gave a clear account as to the point of contact and the level of force involved in the tackle, the panel agreed with the submission that this was a yellow card offence. "In arriving at that decision, the panel applied the head contact process, as updated by World Rugby on 1 March 2023.

"This was an incident where there was some degree of head contact and where Mr Ashton accepted committing an act foul play when he made a tackle that was too high.

"As required by the head contact process, the panel then went on to consider what the degree of danger was in the tackle.

"Having assessed all the evidence before it, including that of Mr Murley (who told the panel that the initial contact was to his right shoulder, following which the tackle rode up to his neck area, but that any force to his neck was minimal), the panel concluded that there was indirect contact to the head and that any force to the head/neck was low.

"Consequently, the panel concluded that there was not a high degree of danger and that the correct starting point under the head contact process was a yellow card."