Fiji Drua backs face National Rugby Championship eye gouging charges

Fiji Drua backs Eroni Vasiteri and Apisalome Waqatabu will face a National Rugby Championship (NRC) judicial hearing after being cited over an alleged gouging incident.

Both players are alleged to have breached law 10.4 (m) "contact with the eye(s)" or "contact with the eye area" after an incident involving Canberra Vikings hooker Folau Faingaa during a match last Friday at Viking Park.

Faingaa reported the incident immediately to the on-field referee.

The judicial hearing will take place at the Australian Rugby Union headquarters on Thursday in Sydney and will be overseen by judicial officer Terry Willis.

The first-season NRC team have already lost one player to a lengthy ban.

Hooker Samu Suguturaga was suspended for 20 weeks after pleading guilty to a biting charge arising from their first-round game against Brisbane.

Drua had been outright NRC leaders, going into last week's round, but have been joined on 15 points by three other clubs after being thrashed 65-5 by the Vikings.