Rugby: Club player banned for life for punching ref

A club rugby player in Waikato has been banned for life after being found guilty of punching a referee.

Frankton B's Taylor Sione received the ban after a Waikato Rugby Union judicial committee hearing last night.

The hearing was told the incident occurred during a senior B grade match between Frankton and Te Rapa.

Sione, 20, was accused of punching the referee after being shown a red card.

After hearing evidence from all parties, the committee decided to ban Sione for life.

"It was extremely disappointing to hear of such an incident. Referees are an integral part of club rugby," WRU chief executive Graham Bowen said.

- NZPA