A club player in South Otago has been banned for 21 months after an incident in a club game last month.
Clutha front-rower Kosena Levale has been banned for a year and nine months following a match between the Clutha club side and Clutha Valley at Clydevale last month.
The ban is believed to be the longest ban ever handed out in Otago club rugby and has sent out a strong signal that poor behaviour will not be tolerated at any level of the game.
Southern region chairman Mark Frisby said the player had admitted his guilt and was remorseful about the incident.
Levale was playing for Clutha in a game when he was involved in a scuffle initially.
A short time later, he used a stomping action on the head of a player, which went unseen by the referee and his sideline assistants. It is believed the player stomped on received about 10 stitches to his head. The incident occurred well away from play on the field at the time.
Frisby said Clutha coaching staff had seen the incident and immediately took action by taking Levale off the field.
The game continued in a clean manner and Clutha recorded a 65-12 victory.
Levale was charged with reckless play and stood down from any rugby until a hearing last month at which he pleaded guilty and showed remorse.
The panel hearing the disciplinary charge felt a stiff penalty had to be given out as it would not tolerate the actions carried out by the Clutha player, Frisby said.
Frisby was on the judiciary hearing panel.
Frisby said it was a tough decision to come to but the panel felt the actions of the player were bad and those sort of actions should not be allowed in the game.
Levale had a clean disciplinary record but stomping on the head was a dangerous act and a sufficient penalty had to be handed out. Levale had accepted his punishment and neither the club nor the player had appealed the decision.
Frisby said the incident was the only judicial hearing which had taken place in the southern region competition so far this season and games had been played in good spirit.
Clutha club president Jared McPhee said the club had accepted the punishment and it was time to move on.
He declined further comment.
The 21-month ban is believed to be the highest given out in club rugby in recent times in Otago.
A Taieri club player was banned for 20 weeks after kicking a player in the head in a pre-season match in 2014.
A player was banned for six months for foul play in 2004 and there have been other instances of playing receiving bans of multiple weeks.
Around the country, players have been banned for life from playing the game after physically attacking the referee.
