Rugby: Ioane reports to police

Digby Ioane. Photo / Getty Images

Wallabies winger Digby Ioane has been issued with a revised court date over an assault charge after submitting himself to Victorian police.

A warrant was issued for Ioane's arrest on Monday after he failed to appear in the Melbourne Magistrates Court to answer a charge stemming from an alleged scuffle in a Prahran hotel in March.

But the 27-year-old reported to police with Australian Rugby Union officials yesterday and will appear in court on August 6.

Ruled out of the rest of the three-test series against the Lions with a shoulder injury, Ioane's court date is after the Super Rugby final and before the Rugby Championship kicks off.

Ioane had been stood down by the Queensland Reds for one match after news broke that he'd been involved in the incident at the Mount Erica Hotel a day after playing against the Rebels in Melbourne on March 8.

He was charged with unlawful assault on summons in May and his failure to appear on Monday has been labelled a "storm in a teacup" by ARU chief executive Bill Pulver.

Ioane posted message on his Twitter account saying: "Love media. Keep talking!' God will always have my back #blessed".

The 35-test flyer has signed a lucrative two-year deal, worth more than $2 million, with French club Stade Francais starting at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, the Lions are coming to terms with the massive loss of pack leader Paul O'Connell while also biting their tongues in frustration at the Wallabies' good fortune with influential second-rower James Horwill.

Lions assistant coach Graham Rowntree has refused to bite about Horwill's exoneration from a rucking charge just before Irish second-rower O'Connell was ruled out of the rest of the test series with a broken arm.

The former Lions captain is set to be replaced by in-form Englishman Geoff Parling in Saturday's second test.

- AAP