Ireland winger Mack Hansen is free to face England in their Six Nations opener after being handed a three-match ban for his outburst on refereeing after Connacht's defeat to Leinster on Dec. 21.
Connacht lost the match 20-12 and Hansen was frustrated by calls from the officials which he deemed to have gone incorrectly against his team.
His comments saw him charged with misconduct by the United Rugby Championship (URC) and he was handed a six-week ban for the outburst, of which three weeks are suspended. That means he will miss Connacht's next three matches but crucially be fit for Ireland's Six Nations opener against England on Feb. 1 in Dublin.
Hansen labelled some of the officiating calls "bull---t" post-match. "I feel like we get this every week. We never get any calls, ever. I've been feeling this for years now," Hansen said.
"It's like we get that every time so you can hear the frustration in my voice 'cause it's starting to get to the point where, honestly, it's bull---t and it's starting to get really frustrating for us 'cause people will say we are an inconsistent team but when you are getting some of the calls we're getting like, of course, you are going to be."
Hansen added: "It's really f-----g starting to get to us as a team."
The URC statement said Hansen was charged with misconduct for "significant criticism of the referee officiating at that match."
He was also in breach of eight other clauses of the URC disciplinary rules. As part of the judgement, Hansen had to apologise to the match official Chris Busby and undertake a match officiating-related course. Connacht were also told to hold an "education session" with their players on how to conduct themselves post-match.
"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," Hansen said in a statement.
"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."
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