An Argentinan rugby player who tackled a female referee in an off-the-ball incident during an Italian league game has been banned for three years.

Bruno Andres Doglioli, captain of Serie A side Rangers Rugby Vicenza, inexplicably tackled referee Maria Beatrice Benvenuti from behind and left the 23-year-old official with whiplash.

Despite the tackle, Benvenuti went on to finish refereeing Vicenza’s game against Valsugana Padua.

Doglioli was only handed a yellow card for the tackle but faced later retrospective action.

The captain was subsequently condemned for the “deliberate act of violence towards the match referee” and the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR) said in a statement that Dogioli had been banned “from playing any competitive sport for three years”.

"The Italian Rugby Federation would like to reiterate that this sanction - the heaviest in the last 20 years - underlines that when it comes to infringing the rules of the game and, above all, the fundamental values of our sport, we will show zero tolerance," the FIR said.

"It also underlines the FIR's firm stance against those who abuse, verbally or physically, match officials."