Outspoken South African coach Peter de Villiers has been hit with a 'misconduct' charge and will appear at a Sanzar judicial hearing within the next week.
The Tri Nations governing body, Sanzar, has issued a notice of alleged misconduct against de Villiers following comments he made on Australia's Fox Sports Rugby Club programme on July 21.
De Villiers condemned the refereeing of Irish whistle-blowers Alan Lewis and Alain Rolland after South Africa's second Test loss to New Zealand in Wellington. The controversial coach went as far to question their motives.
"I've got my own observations about the last two Tests, and I can't say it in public," de Villiers said. "But we do have a World Cup in New Zealand next year, and maybe it was the right thing for them to win the games so they can attract more people to the matches next year."
He later made an effort to retract his statements.
"My comment was based on the general view that part of the success of any World Cup event rests on the fact that the host nation has a winning team," he said. "Nevertheless, I regret that this may have created the wrong impression."
Pressure continues to mount on the Sprinboks coach, with World Cup winning coach Jake White declaring he wants his job back. Speculation has been rife of a rift in the South African coaching ranks as disagreements surface around what tactics should be employed.
Sanzar chief executive Steve Tew said: "Having considered the response from South Africa we have determined that Peter de Villiers' comments may constitute a breach of Sanzar code of conduct and warrant further consideration by a judicial officer."
Sanzar wrote to SARU on July 22 about the comments. Having discussed the matter with de Villiers on his return to South Africa after last weekend's Tri Nations match against Australia, SARU has now provided a response.