A RUGBY player who shoved a referee during a heated amateur match is facing a hefty ban.

West Hartlepool Tech player Chris Ward was so incensed at being sent off during a match with Gateshead that he pushed experienced referee Mike Hodgson in the chest and face.

The felled referee was so shocked that he immediately abandoned the game, leaving rugby authorities to decide if the result should stand or not.

Ward, who was a substitute forward in Saturday's game, should learn the length of any ban at a club meeting today. He refused to comment when contacted last night.

The fracas erupted up when the player was sent off by the Durham referee after 61 minutes of the Durham Northumberland Division One fixture at Grayfields, Hartlepool.

As tempers flared further, two more Hartlepool players, Nick Corrigan and captain Ashley Parker, were also shown the red card.

Mr Hodgson, 47, was unavailable for comment last night. But he has sent a report to Durham County RFU's disciplinary committee.

John Dove, chairman of West Hartlepool TDSOB, or Tech as the team is known locally, said the club was investigating the incident.

He said: "We are appalled by the incident and we will be meeting to discuss disciplinary procedures.

"Our club will not tolerate that sort of behaviour against officials. We are disappointed that our club has been involved in an incident like that.

"I have spoken to Mike and passed on the apologies of the club and the players, which he gracefully accepted.

"I have also written to Mike and the Durham referee's society to say sorry. It is an incident we can't justify, nor should we attempt to."

Tech were trailing 6-0 at the time the game was abandoned and may be forced to accept the result because, according to RFU rules, if more than 60 minutes are played the result stands.

But the league's committee will make a final decision and could decide to use its discretion and order the game to be played again.

Malcolm Shorney, chairman of Durham County Rugby Union Referee's Society, said: "The league and the RFU will investigate the incident. The club, who don't forget had three players sent off, could now be in as much trouble as the players themselves."