A group of Hurricanes players could face being dropped for this weekend's Super Rugby match against the Reds after breaching team rules in South Africa.
The players, reported to total five, were said to have broken a curfew ahead of the 32-15 loss to the Sharks in Durban last weekend.
"Due to media speculation, the Hurricanes would like to acknowledge a small group of players breached team protocol while the squad were in South Africa," the franchise said in a statement on Wednesday.
It said the matter had been dealt with internally.
The Hurricanes' loss to the Sharks came a week after they had overwhelmed the Lions 50-17 in Johannesburg.
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Earlier on Wednesday, assistant coach Jason Holland said the players broke a curfew and what action would be taken had yet to be decided.
"We set pretty high standards around our protocols and if there are any little minor discretions, there will be consequences," he told New Zealand radio.
The Hurricanes host the Reds at Westpac Stadium on Saturday night.
