Ebbw Vale player Curtis Gregory has received a reduced ban upon appeal for the stamp that appalled the rugby world and was watched by millions after going viral

Ebbw Vale second-row Curtis Gregory has been banned for eight matches, WalesOnline can reveal, with an initial 15-game suspension for a sickening stamp against Llandovery nearly halved on appeal.

His ban ends on December 20, 2026 and his first game back could be Ebbw Vale's Boxing Day derby against Pontypool.

Gregory was given a straight red card by Craig Evans for a stamp on the leg of Drovers captain Joe Powell in a Super Rygbi Cymru match last month.

With a ruck formed, Powell briefly held onto Gregory's leg, which prompted him to stamp down on the former's outstretched limb with significant force.

Luckily for the stricken player, he appeared to escape without visible injury, but the incident sparked widespread outrage.

We can now reveal the Welsh Rugby Union initially handed Gregory a 15-match ban but this has been reduced to eight games upon appeal.

It is also understood that Ebbw Vale took internal disciplinary action against Gregory after the incident.

The WRU does not publicly disclose details of its disciplinary proceedings, unlike other governing bodies such as the Rugby Football Union, which makes its decisions and sanctions public.

But similar stamping offences in rugby have also resulted in bans of comparable length, which is likely to have formed the basis of teh appeal.

Following the incident, footage of the flashpoint quickly circulated online and was viewed by millions around the world, with major news sites in South Africa and Australia generating headlines on it.

Online reaction has largely focused on the severity of the offence, with many onlookers likely to feel an eight-game ban does not go far enough. There had been some extreme calls from fans for a lifetime suspension.