AN insult flung at a female relative of Amanaki Mafi was behind the alleged assault of his Melbourne Rebels teammate Lopeti Timani.

It can be revealed that while drinking at the house of Mafi’s brother in Dunedin last weekend, Timani made an allegedly derogatory remark about a woman who was present.

An argument broke out and Timani ran out of the house.

He was allegedly chased, tackled onto the ground and assaulted in the street by Mafi, who has been charged by New Zealand police over the incident.

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Mafi is heading to Japan soon to take up a contract with NTT Communications Shining Arcs and will not have to be present at Dunedin District Court when the matter is next heard on August 3.

media_camera Former Rebels player Amanaki Mafi.

The 28-year-old has not entered a plea but must do so at that hearing.

Both Mafi and Timani were fined $15,000 each under the Rebels’ own code of conduct for violating an order by coach Dave Wessels not to go out drinking after their match against the Highlanders because they were still in finals contention.

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SIMON Dwyer, the former NRL star who suffered the same injury that has left Rob Horne’s right arm paralysed, has urged the former Wallaby to seek acupuncture as a form of therapy.

Like Horne, Dwyer’s sporting career was ended after five nerves in his shoulder were detached from spinal cord.

Dwyer, now working as a performance analyst with Wests Tigers, can move his arm but has virtually no functionality with it but said Horne could still achieve great things as he has done.

media_camera Former Wests Tigers player Simon Dwyer, who suffered the same injury as former Waratah Rob Horne. Picture Gregg Porteous

“You’ve just got to stay positive, adapt to everything, I can do anything that anyone with two working arms can, there is always a way to do things,” Dwyer told Rugby Confidential.

“I started out on the painkillers because I had chronic pain and at the time it was the only thing that helped me, but they had some bad side effects, I started having seizures, so I gave them up,” Dwyer said.

“I started doing a bit of acupuncture and it has helped me a lot. I do that regularly, mainly on my hand because that’s where all the pain is, and I get a massage every week.”

media_camera Rob Horne in action for the Waratahs.

There will be a testimonial match played between Horne’s Northampton club and Leicester on October 6 at Twickenham to raise fund for the 28-year-old father of two.

NSW coach Daryl Gibson added: “It’s a real sad loss and obviously his ongoing health in terms of his transition from playing back into real life. We really hope that he recovers well and I know he’s in touch with all the Waratahs players and we wish him well in the recovery.”

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TEENAGER Jordan Petaia will be the bolter in the wider Wallabies training squad next week.

The 18-year-old from Queensland, who has played just 11 Super Rugby games, will be flown to Sydney to train with an extended group in preparation for the opening Bledisloe Cup match on August 18.

Petaia’s Reds’ teammates Hamish Stewart (five-eighth) and Harry Hockings (lock) are also surprise additions to Michael Cheika’s squad, which will be trimmed in a couple of weeks as Waratahs players involved in finals also come in.

Hockings, just 19, has been included while three-Test Wallaby Matt Philip has missed out.

And after it emerged that outside centre Tevita Kuridrani has been ruled out for three months with a torn pec, Reece Hodge is now the favourite to wear the No.13 jersey against the All Blacks.

Waratahs centre Curtis Rona is viewed as a wing option at Test level.

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BENN Robinson is urging you all to reach deep into your pockets for a very worthy cause - the 30th birthday of the Starlight Foundation helping sick children.

A fancy dinner will be held to raise money to grant 30 Starlight wishes to brighten up some young faces.

Robinson, the former Wallabies prop is an ambassador for the event and wants a full house on Saturday, August 4 at Sydney’s Sofitel Wentworth hotel.

Tickets cost $340 each and can be purchased at starball.com.au .

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NO one is exactly quite sure what SANZAAR’s proposed review of TMO’s will throw up but after some of the ludicrous decisions that have been passed down in the past few months, everyone’s in agreement that it can’t get any worse.

The TMO has become the hot-button topic of modern day rugby after a recent spate of questionable red cards and suspensions but the resulting outcry has prompted the suits to take a closer look and provide some clarity.

media_camera NSW coach Daryl Gibson supports the proposed review of the TMO.

“I think it’s a real positive move by our administration. It’s something that needs to be talked about and they’ve shown some real leadership there that we need to get round the table and get things sorted and move in a direction that we can all be happy with how the game’s administers and refereed,” Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson said.

“There’s definitely a balance there in how much the TMO is involved in the game and who rules who. Is the TMO the sole judge or is it the referee? And I think once we determine those factors we’re going get an outcome on the field where the referee should be the sole judge of what happens.”

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AFTER being warmly received by the Brisbane club rugby community, FoxSports is in talks to potentially televise Queensland Premier Rugby grand final live.

Regular round games featuring Quade Cooper and Karmichael Hunt are being shown on replay on the pay television network, but the decider could be broadcast in real time on Sunday, August 19.

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AMATEUR players have the chance to take on professionals and alongside former Wallabies in Perth next month.

The Western Force will play against the Australian Country-Stockman Rugby team August 25, just a week out from their NRC campaign.

The game will allow regular amateurs to train for a spot in the Stockman squad that will feature former Wallabies Mark Gerrard and Nathan Charles.

The Force’s former skipper and now head of elite performance, Matt Hodgson said: “What we are building in the west relies on having solid grassroots development pathways, we see this fixture as an opportunity to do the same on a national scale, to invest into up-and-coming club rugby players from around the country by giving them a shot at the next level.”

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