WELLINGTON, New Zealand - Five fans of a small provincial rugby club have been banned for life for attacking a referee and touch judges in a brawl following a contentious championship final.

Two other supporters of the Kio Kio club in the King Country district of New Zealand's North Island received five-year bans Thursday for their part in an incident in which the referee was tripped and shoulder charged.

The King Country Rugby Union also placed the Kio Kio club on one year's probation, warning club officials that any repeat of last month's incident would lead to a hearing by the larger Waikato Rugby Union which could result in its banishment from local competitions.

King Country union chairman Andrew McCullough said violence erupted when Kio Kio lost by two points to Waitete in August's club championship final. The referee was attacked over a disputed decision and the touch judges were pursued and assaulted.

One of those banned for life was an official of the Kio Kio club, the King Country union said.