A man has been charged with assaulting a teenage ref at a junior rugby match in Auckland.
And he will be sentenced next month after pleading guilty at his first appearance in court.
Earlier this month the Herald revealed that a 15-year-old referee was punched and strangled by a spectator after he sent a player off the field at a 9am game between the blue and red Ardmore Marist teams, at Auckland's Pulman Park.
A witness told the Herald that the teen official had warned the player three times before sending him off.
After the final whistle, a spectator - who appeared to be related to the player - approached the referee to speak with him.