Ireland winger Mack Hansen has been banned for three games for comments he made following Connacht's defeat to Leinster in the URC in December.
He must also make an apology to referee Chris Busby and undertake "an appropriate course related to match officiating".
The 26-year-old blasted officials for what he perceived as ongoing bias against Connacht in the aftermath of the province's 20-8 defeat at Aviva Stadium.
Following a hearing yesterday, the Australian-born back was suspended for six weeks with three suspended, so will miss Connacht’s Challenge Cup matches against Lyon and Cardiff and a URC game against Glasgow.
It’s good news for Ireland interim boss Simon Easterby as it clears the way for Hansen to play against England in the opening match of the Guinness Six Nations on 1 February.
Additionally, Connacht have received a suspended €10,000 fine related to the player's sanction.
In a statement released through the club, Hansen said: "People know I always wear my heart on my sleeve.
"However, after the Leinster game, on this occasion, I let my emotions get the better of me.
"Upon reflection, my comments to the media were ill-advised, and fell far short of the standards I expect of myself, and what the sport expects of its players.
"I want to offer an apology to the match officials for any distress my comments may have caused. Our games are built on mutual respect and I didn’t show that after the game.
"I also want to apologise to the URC, and I fully accept the findings of the independent disciplinary panel.
"I love Connacht, and I love rugby.
"Moving forward, I will channel all my energy and passion into representing my province and country to the absolute best of my ability – both on and off the field."
Hansen was charged with "misconduct in breach of clause 3.2 of the disciplinary rules of the BKT United Rugby Championship," said the URC.
"Those comments included significant criticism of the referee officiating at that match."
He was also charged with "misconduct in breach of eight other clauses of the disciplinary rules.
"Additionally, the obligations of clubs to exercise control over their personnel were also considered in relation to the player and Connacht Rugby.
"Hansen in large part accepted that his actions amounted to misconduct and apologised for his actions."
The disciplinary panel, Roger Morris (chair, Wales), Nigel Williams (Wales) and Stefan Terblanche (South Africa), met yesterday.
"The panel considered the apology from the player and that attaching a learning process would have a more positive outcome rather than merely applying a playing sanction," the URC added.
In his post-match press conference, Hansen said: "I feel like the first bit we were getting pressured from what seemed like 16 men against us instead of 15, to be honest to you.
"It's like we get that every time so you can hear the frustration in my voice 'cos it's starting to get to the point where, honestly, it’s bull***t."
The full sanctions handed down deem that:
1. The player must make a full apology to the match official (Chris Busby, IRFU) in charge of refereeing the Leinster v Connacht fixture
2. The player must undertake an appropriate course (related to match officiating) as decided by Tappe Henning (URC head of match officials) and Dudley Phillips (IRFU head of referees) with the learnings to be disseminated with his team-mates at Connacht.
3. Connacht must run an education session with their players about how to conduct themselves in post-match media sessions and interactions with the media.
Hansen will now miss the next three games in Connacht's schedule.
- 11 January: v Lyon Rugby (ECPR Challenge Cup)
- 17 January: v Cardiff Rugby (ECPR Challenge Cup)
- 24 January: v Glasgow Warriors (BKT United Rugby Championship)
The player and the club have the right to appeal.
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