Hong Kong - A Fijian rugby player was sentenced in absentia to three weeks in jail for assaulting a police officer when he was in Hong Kong for a Rugby Sevens tournament, a news report said Tuesday.

The sentence overturned an earlier fine of 500 Hong Kong dollars (64 US dollars) imposed on 32-year-old Paula Maisiri for his part in a mass brawl in Hong Kong's nightclub district in March.

Maisiri grabbed a police constable by the throat and punched him in the face as police tried to disperse a brawl involving 50 rugby players, security guards and other bar-goers in Wan Chai, according to court testimony.

The Department of Justice called the original light sentence "manifestly inadequate" and ordered a review by Hong Kong's Eastern Court.

At Monday's hearing, the fine was set aside by magistrate Bina Chainrai and replaced by a three-week jail term and an arrest order, the South China Morning Post reported.

The hearing took place in Maisiri's absence and the jail term is only likely to be put into effect if the rugby player returns to the former British colony, the newspaper said.

The Hong Kong Sevens is the world's most popular rugby sevens tournament and attracts teams and supporters from around the world to the city of 7 million every March. Fiji won the 2009 tournament. (dpa)