The Marist St Pats Rugby Football Club has been banned from entering a men's team in a Wellington tournament for three years after three of its players were found to have attacked a Petone player during a game in November, leaving him with severe facial injuries and unable to work.
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The three players have also been banned from playing rugby at club level for varying lengths of time.
The details of the attack on Petone's Ridge Studd are contained in a Wellington Rugby Football Union disciplinary committee report, released this week, after a hearing chaired by Wellington lawyer Gerard Dewar.
Dewar called the attack "disgraceful" and was highly critical of Marist St Pats' response to the incident.
"We are not satisfied that MSP team members have been adequately held to account within their club or that their club has properly dealt with those participating in this disgraceful event," he wrote in the report.
Photos from the day show Studd pinned to the ground as the fight breaks out. He was left convulsing on the ground.
Referee Colin Te Pohe told the hearing that he was shocked by what he saw. "I have never seen anything like this. It was pure thuggery."
Another referee, Warren Quesnell, said he was thinking of quitting as a result of the incident.
The judicial committee banned Marist St Pats from the Ambassador's Sevens Tournament for three years, saying that allowing them to play in future tournaments was "potentially dangerous".
Marist St Pats player Iosefo Aukusitino was suspended from all rugby for two years for striking leading to serious and gross consequences to the health of the victim, and his brother Sagele Aukusitino was suspended for one year.
Team-mate Jeremiah Tuiatua was suspended for five matches for injecting himself with force via a shoulder charge.
Another Aukusitino brother, Patrick, attended the match as a spectator and got involved in the brawl. He was banned from attending any matches under WRFU control for two years.
The club was warned there would be more serious consequences if the club was associated with any more acts of violence.
Studd, the victim, was suspended for three matches for striking and retaliation.
Wellington journalist Adam Julian, who has covered club rugby for more than a decade and arrived at the game just after the attack, said the sentences were far too lenient.
"Ridge Studd was attacked so viciously he suffered a seizure after being knocked out cold. It didn't stop there," Julian said.
"The following day his face looked like he'd gone rounds with Mike Tyson," he said. "Multiple broken bones and a busted eye socket that couldn't be repaired until the swelling dissipated about a fortnight later."
Studd continued to face ongoing medical issues that could affect him for the rest of his life, Julian said, and was unable to return to work until at least next month.
Studd did not respond to requests for comment.
Petone club captain Mike Woollett said the club was deciding whether or not to appeal the sentences handed down to Marist St Pats. He personally felt the bans were too lenient.
The judicial committee commended Petone's response. "We find Petone's conduct in respect of the event and in this process to have been, in every respect, responsible, reasonable and measured and regret that we do not find MSP to have responded adequately to this matter," the report said.
Marist St Pats club chairman Rob Evans said the players were "very upset" about what happened. The club was reviewing the finding of the hearing to decide if it would appeal.
The club had a duty of care to its members and to make sure the young men received a fair hearing, Evans said.
Wellington Rugby said it would not comment until the appeal process was finished.
The parties have seven days to appeal the decisions.
Police have confirmed that inquiries are ongoing.