Rugby-Luatua gets four-week ban for high hit on Nanai-Williams

March 5 (Reuters) - All Blacks and Auckland loose forward Steve Luatua has been handed a four-week suspension for a high tackle on Tim Nanai-Williams that earned him a red card in the Blues' 41-26 Super Rugby defeat at the Waikato Chiefs on Friday.

Luatua, who apologised to Nanai-Williams after the game, pleaded guilty to a dangerous tackle of an opponent after he hit the Chiefs winger with a late, swinging arm off the ball just before halftime in the Hamilton clash.

A foul play review committee for competition governing body SANZAAR suspended Luatua from all forms of the game up to and including April 1.

"The act of foul play merited a mid-range entry point of six weeks," the committee said in a statement.

"However, taking into account mitigating factors including the player's early admission of guilt and his remorse for his actions, the committee reduced the suspension by two weeks."

Luatua will leave the Blues at the end of the campaign to join English Premiership side Bristol for the 2017-18 season. (Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru)