Touch ref banned for attack on player

A Wellington referee has been given a seven-year ban for head-butting a player during a touch rugby game.

Jack Wilson, believed to be in his mid to late 30s, has been suspended by the Touch New Zealand until July 2012 after he attacked a player who was arguing with him.

Mr Wilson's referee qualification has also been withdrawn.

Touch NZ spokesman Gary Hogg believed the penalty was fair although the disciplinary committee had the option of imposing a life ban.

"I think seven years is probably fair enough, you have to give some sort of lifeline for people to rehabilitate themselves," he said.

Mr Wilson had expressed remorse to both Touch NZ and the player concerned and had not appealed the decision. "I think he was pretty fatalistic about it," Mr Hogg said.

The referee, who had officiated at national and international level and was a member of the sport's referees' panel, was called before the committee earlier this month.

As well as the seven-year ban, the committee said any application by Mr Wilson to get back into the sport would need to be supported by "a range of conditions".

Mr Hogg said that could include an anger management course.

"In touch and other sports you do get a bit of abuse from both the players and from the sideline and unless you're prepared to put up with that you probably shouldn't be a referee," he said.

He understood the incident happened when a competition game was about to get under way in Wellington on May 15 but one team didn't have all their players ready to take the field. Mr Wilson ordered the game to start anyway but became angry when players complained.

"Some remarks were passed by one of the team towards the refs and it escalated from there," Mr Hogg said.

The head-butted player was not seriously injured.