A teen Taranaki club rugby player has been slapped with a 36-match ban after shoulder-charging a referee in a premier match.

The incident was during a premier clash between Southern and New Plymouth Old Boys in Hāwera on June 20, where the unnamed player lined up the referee and ran straight into him, knocking the official to the ground.

The referee managed to get up and spoke to the unnamed 17-year-old Southern player, before play continued with a scrum.

The fixture, which was livestreamed on the Taranaki Rugby YouTube page, appeared to the show the referee reaching into his pocket, but he stops short of pulling the card out.

The player then turns to the sideline, giving a thumbs up to the crowd, and you could hear spectators heckling the referee.

New Plymouth Old Boys went on to win the match 26-7 and the incident was referred to an independent judicial committee.

Taranaki Rugby chief executive Jimmy Fastier says the sanction sends a clear message that physical abuse has no place in rugby.

“The incident involved a Southern player deliberately making contact with a referee from behind with a forceful shoulder,” said Fastier.

“The individual has received a 36-match sanction after a hearing was held on Thursday, June 26th, 2025.

“There is no room for the physical or verbal abuse of volunteers in our sport. Taranaki Rugby is committed to seeing the game have a positive impact on everyone in our region.”

Treatment of referees has been in the spotlight in recent weeks after Horowhenua-Kāpiti cancelled all rugby in the region after a spate of abuse towards match officials.

Last month, the union said in response to escalating abuse towards match officials – highlighted by a person threatening to stab a referee – that they would cancel all senior club games if behaviour didn’t improve.

Although standards did improve briefly, an “abhorrent” incident during a college rugby match forced the union to go one step further, postponing all junior, secondary school and senior rugby fixtures scheduled for June 28.

The abuse was so severe members of the public felt compelled to escort the referee to his vehicle after the game for his safety.

There have also been a range of issues in Southland, which has reported four separate incidents of referee abuse over the past two months.

Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.