10-year ban for spitting at ref

A Feilding rugby player has been hit with a 10-year ban for spitting at a referee.

A Feilding rugby player has copped a decade-long ban from the game for unleashing a "torrent of obscenities" before spitting into a referee's face.

Feilding Rugby Club player, Tipene Campbell, has been suspended for 10 years for referee abuse and misconduct in the match against Ashhurst-Pohangina on July 18, Stuff.co.nz reported.

Campbell, who swore and spat at the match referee, will be out of the game until July 21, 2025.

Manawatu community rugby manager Martin Brady told Stuff: "The reality is if you want to abuse a match official in Manawatu, you are going to be dealt to severely".

The latest incident happened four minutes from fulltime at Lincoln Park, Ashhurst.

According to the judicial committee summary, the referee had yellow-carded a Feilding player, provoking captain for the day, Campbell, to unleash a "torrent of obscenities" towards the referee.

The referee asked Campbell to stop. Campbell didn't, spat at the referee, the spittle missed, but when he stepped closer he spat in the referee's face. At that point the referee issued a red card.

Feilding has yet to decide on further action it might take.