Bay of Plenty District Health Board member and former Bay of Plenty rugby player Matua Parkinson is banned from playing rugby until 2013.

He has received the ban after he heckled and ‘down-trou'd' a referee during a club rugby match in June between Te Puke and Rangataua.

Matua Parkinson is banned from playing rugby for two years after he pulled a referee's pants down during a match he was spectating.

The abuse of this referee was reported to the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union, which held a judicial committee hearing about the incident on Wednesday, June 29.

The committee reserved its decision, but banned Matua, a former New Zealand 7s player, from playing rugby until determining the outcome.

The decision to ban Matua from playing rugby until 2013 was released at the weekend, with Bay of Plenty Rugby Union CEO Mike Rogers saying this penalty comes as no surprise as 'it's consistent with the guidelines established in the New Zealand rugby disciplinary handbook”.

'Obviously the committee felt strongly that no player should undermine officials and certainly in this instance that's been the case,” says Mike.

'He has been dealt with as any other player would be dealt with and regardless of his involvement in the game historically he has acted outside the rules of the game and he needs to be held accountable for those.”

Mike says the role officials play in club rugby matches is important to the sport in the region, particularly when they are volunteers.

'They are volunteers and they need to be treated with respect.”

Matua has expressed remorse and regret for the incident and Mike hopes something good can come from this.

'Hopefully he turns this into a positive and understands this kind of behaviour is unacceptable and as someone who has contributed to the game, hopefully he will turn this around and contribute positively to the game in the future.”

Matua has the right to appeal the decision.

SunLive was unable to contact Matua this morning for comment.