Conor Scott Lawson, 32, got an exemption from his Probation officer to go for a run, but instead sneaked on to the rugby field to play for the West Taieri Pigs in the second half of their final against the Clutha Steamers on July 19.
A team representative who refused to be named said the team thought the defendant had the all-clear to play and "he missed the boys".
"He was really keen to play the final and ... we just thought it would be really good for his mental health," the representative said.
"We don’t see the problem with this. Conor’s thinking about making a petition ... for people [on a bracelet] to be able to play, because there’s no rules in rugby that states that you can’t play rugby on a bracelet as long as it’s well protected."
The Corrections website specifically states rugby is not an appropriate activity to partake in while wearing an ankle bracelet.
And the risk did not pay off, the Pigs losing the Southern Region premier club rugby final by three points.
Lawson, who played three games for North Otago last year, earlier asked his Probation officer if he could have an exemption to attend the match, warm up with the team and run water during the match.
The request was denied, but Corrections was informed Lawson played the game during his one-hour exemption for a run.
"Information from people attending the game indicate that there was incredulity from members of the public that a person wearing an ankle bracelet be allowed to play rugby," a Corrections summary said.
"Mr Lawson’s presence at the game has sparked some community interest with both police and community Corrections being approached about this matter."
When confronted by his Probation officer, the defendant admitted the breach but claimed "peer pressure" caused him to do it.
The loose forward’s bulging sock did not go unnoticed and caused some upset in the tight-knit community.
A Steamers supporter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the referee was informed Lawson was on home detention but appeared unaware of how to handle the situation.
The man said it was "common knowledge" in the small rugby community that Lawson was serving an electronically monitored sentence.
He was just relieved the fiasco did not overshadow the Steamers’ victory.
West Taieri Pigs co-president David McNeill said he understood Lawson had the all-clear to play.
Lawson had not played in earlier games while serving his sentence, but the team were desperate for players for the final, he said.
Mr McNeill said he knew Lawson was on home detention and at the time did not think having him on the team was a bad look.
"He was a player that played half the season with us and if he was allowed to play, he was allowed to play."
The team representative for the Pigs said the club stood by Lawson’s decision.
"To be fair, they lost the final. It didn’t affect anybody else apart from Conor.
"He’s the one that’s had to pay the price for it."
Lawson was leaving to play rugby in Japan and really wanted to be a part of the big game, which would be his last in New Zealand, the team representative said.
Asked if it was a bad look for the team, the representative responded, "yeah, but to be fair, like, he didn’t do anything that’s going to make him a threat to the community".
Otago Rugby chief executive Richard Kinley said abiding by court-imposed conditions was "the sole responsibility of the individual".
"Otago Rugby has been made aware of the breach and will now consider whether a further judicial process is required."
The home-detention sentence was originally imposed for Lawson’s sixth drink-drive conviction and fifth breach of licence conditions.
The charges came after he used a rudimentary technique involving a sock to defeat an alcohol interlock device.
This week in the Dunedin District Court, Lawson admitted the breach and had a further two weeks added to his sentence.
Judge Deidre Orchard said he was lucky to avoid imprisonment.
