The International Rugby Board (IRB) has vowed to "eradicate" the "particularly heinous" act of eye-gouging.

Wednesday's announcement by the global governing body comes following the controversy caused by Springbok back-row Schalk Burger's eye-gouge on British and Irish Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald in the first minute of last Saturday's second Test in Pretoria, which world champions South Africa won 28-25.

After the match, which gave the Boks an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series, South Africa coach Peter de Villiers appeared to condone the act as part of rugby.

De Villiers added anyone who could not handle the physicality of rugby union ought to buy a tutu and take up ballet dancing - comments condemned as "crass" and "pathetic" on Wednesday by Lions scrum coach Graham Rowntree.

But the IRB, in a statement issued from their Dublin headquarters, insisted gouging had no place in the game.

And the board added they were looking at someone other than the player in question being allowed to appeal against a disciplinary sentence, raising the possibility that a ban could be challenged because it was too lenient.

"The IRB is firmly of the view that there is no place in rugby for illegal or foul play and the act of eye gouging is particularly heinous," the board's statement said.

"In light of recent high profile cases, the IRB is launching a review of the existing disciplinary sanction structure to send out the strongest possible message that such acts of illegal/foul play will not be tolerated."

The statement added: "Under existing IRB disciplinary regulations only the player may appeal independent judicial decisions.

"In light of recent cases, the IRB will review whether the scope of the appeal should in the future extend to other appropriate parties, including the IRB itself."

Burger received an eight-week ban after the game, while de Villiers contended he had not even deserved to be sin-binned.

De Villiers and South African Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins were subsequently forced into issuing a joint statement condemning foul play.

Meanwhile injured Lions centre Brian O'Driscoll, the Ireland captain, said he could not believe the extent of Burger's on and off-field punishments.

"I am semi-appalled that a player that clearly gouged another player was simply given a yellow card and subsequently given an eight week ban, which I find mind-boggling," O'Driscoll told Irish RTE state radio on Wednesday.

Eye-gouging has become an increasing problem in top-flight rugby despite the presence of television cameras at most major matches.

Last weekend, for example, Italy captain Sergio Parisse was banned for eight weeks for eye-gouging All Black lock Isaac Ross.

Burger's was the tenth ban for eye-gouging in the past two years.

Munster flanker Alan Quinlan missed the Lions tour as a result of a gouge on Leinster captain Leo Cullen during last season's European Cup semi-final while English side Gloucester's French front-row Olivier Azam was banned for nine weeks last term for the offence.

England hooker Dylan Hartley was banned for six months in 2007 after an eye-gouging incident involving then Wasps and England back-row forward James Haskell.

AFP

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