Springbok lock Albert van den Berg was Tuesday night found not guilty of trampling an opponent and will fly to Perth on Wednesday night for the away-leg of the Tri-Nations series against Australia and New Zealand.

Van den Berg was cited on Monday after the Natal Sharks' Currie Cup match against Northern Free State's Griffons in Welkom on Sunday, in which AJ Venter and Jaco Gouws also came to blows.

Van den Berg appeared before a three-and-a-half hour South African Rugby Football Union disciplinary hearing at the Ellis Park Stadium offices and subsequently was given the go-ahead to join his team-mates Down Under.

He came on as a late substitute for the Sharks and was used for only the final 10 minutes of the match. He was yellow-carded by referee Eugene Daniels, however, and sent to the sin-bin.

On Tuesday night at Ellis Park, the Sarfu disciplinary committee - Johan Pretorius, Hentie Serfontein and Hendrik Johannes - viewed video footage of the incident and heard evidence from the touch judge, referee, players and both coaches, Rudolph Straeuli and Eugene van Wyk.

The "not guilty" verdict was given on a majority ruling, according to Pretorius. Last season Van den Berg was found guilty of raking Free Stater Jaco Coetzee in a Currie Cup semifinal. He was fined R8000, but allowed to play in the final and cleared for the end-of-year tour.

Tuesday night's disciplinary committee dismissed as irrelevant, however, any earlier infringements. "We did not take into account previous transgressions. That would be improper," said Pretorius, the committee head and a Potchefstroom lawyer.

On the contrary, Sarfu's general manager of policies and regulations, Christo Ferreira, on Monday had indicated the exact opposite: that Van den Berg's history would stand as evidence against him.

South Africa face Australia in Perth on August 18, followed by the test against New Zealand in Auckland on August 25, taking with them victory over the Wallabies and a defeat to the All Blacks in their Tri-Nations campaign.

Meanwhile, Sharks loose forward Venter was also let off the hook, "not guilty" of allegedly head-butting Griffons No 8 Gouws. Gouws, who threw a punch at Venter in retaliation or not, has been asked to reappear before the committee on Wednesday. - Sapa