Former Sale and Newcastle utility player Epi Taione has been banned for six weeks for head-butting an opponent in a Super 14 match last weekend.

The Tongan international, now playing for the Sharks in South Africa, was ordered to appear before the judiciary in Christchurch on Monday after being sent off for an incident with Hurricanes lock Jeremy Thrush during Saturday’s 13-13 draw in Wellington.

Taione admitted making contact with Thrush’s head but denied it was deliberate, saying he was trying to clear his opponent from a maul.

Thrush was not injured and Davidson accepted his explanation that he had not deliberately head-butted his opponent but ruled Taione’s actions were still “grossly reckless”.

“The act carried danger. There was no warrant whatsoever for what occurred. It was fortunate that Thrush had suffered no injury,” SANZAR said in a statement.

Taione could have faced a minimum ban of eight weeks but Davidson agreed to reduce it to three weeks because there were mitigating circumstances.

However, he increased the ban to six weeks because Taione had received a penalty for biting in 2004 while playing in England.

Taione made headlines during last year’s World Cup in France when he dyed his hair green and changed his name to Paddy Power to highlight the financial problems his Tongan team were facing.