Club rugby player banned

A club rugby player who manhandled a referee after being given a red card has been banned from playing for 18 months.

Adult player Pulusi Faaiva grabbed rookie referee Cameron Mill by the collar of his jersey and pushed it up towards his chin during the fifth division Christchurch club match between Marist-Albion and Merivale-Lincoln on Saturday.

He had just been sent off by Mill for a shoulder charge against an opposition player without using his arms.

A media report that Faaiva had punched the referee was rejected by the Christchurch metropolitan rugby clubs' judiciary committee, which heard the case on Tuesday night.

Mr Mill was shaken but is continuing as a referee. The committee heard that Faaiva had returned to apologise to Mill after letting go of him.

"In his defence Faaiva said that while he had lost his cool, he had not grabbed the referee's jersey with any violent intent. He apologised to all parties in attendance at the hearing and provided a letter of apology," a report released by the Canterbury Rugby Union said.

In the case of the shoulder charge, Faaiva told the committee that he had tried to pull out of the tackle but hit the other player without the use of arms. He admitted it was his error.

Canterbury Rugby Referees Association chairman Stuart Wright said Faaiva's actions were totally unacceptable "And from reading the [committee's] findings, the player himself understands that."

Faaiva was suspended for two weeks for the shoulder charge and 18 months for handling the referee.