Top rugby referee faces hearing

Bad boy rugby referee Steve Walsh appears to be in hot water again. The Sunday Star-Times understands Walsh will front an NZRU disciplinary hearing after he allegedly misbehaved at the Sanzar meeting in Sydney two weeks ago.

Refereeing sources, including the International Rugby Union's boss of referees, Paddy O'Brien, confirmed they were waiting for the outcome of the hearing.

But when approached by the Star-Times at his Auckland home last week Walsh said: "I don't want to comment", while a spokesman for the NZRU said it "never makes public comment on personal employment issues".

O'Brien confirmed he had recently appointed Walsh to referee the final and possibly deciding match of the Six Nations between Wales and Ireland.

"At this stage nothing has changed," he said. "He will still referee the match until I have been told the full story."

Walsh's New Zealand boss Lyndon Bray has done him no favours. He has failed to return calls for comment.

The Star-Times understands the incident involving Walsh wasn't that serious, but he had already been skating on thin ice.

He was suspended for abusing a player during the Lions tour in 2005 and reprimanded after a run-in with an official from the England team at the 2003 world cup.