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Lote Tuqiri's shock sacking by the Australian Rugby Union was a "contract dispute" and a matter for his lawyers, the veteran winger said.

The ARU terminated the 67-Test player's lucrative contract on Wednesday without explanation and refused to comment further on the matter, citing legal concerns.

"It's a legal matter, it's with the lawyers," Tuqiri (pictured) told Australian television without elaborating.

"It's a contract dispute and we're going from there."

The 29-year-old, one of Australia's highest-paid players, was an obvious omission from a youthful 30-man squad to take on champions New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations.

His sacking came days after the Wallabies said they were investigating player misconduct after three players - James O'Connor, Quade Cooper and Josh Valentine -- were disciplined for a food fight at a team hotel last month.

ARU boss John O'Neill told reporters the winger's dismissal was not a police matter and refuted suggestions he had a personal agenda with Tuqiri.

"Clearly the decision to terminate a contract is one that requires consideration," O'Neill said.

"We gave that consideration and reached the conclusion with our eyes open."

O'Neill confirmed that he had personally put Tuqiri on notice in 2007 for disciplinary offences, but would not be drawn as to whether misconduct was behind his sacking.

"It's in the public arena that back in August '07 Lote was provided with a letter from me which indicated that due to a couple of offences at the time, he was on a warning that further breaches would not be tolerated," he said.

Tuqiri was cut for two Tri-Nations matches in 2007 after he missed a medical appointment and team recovery session.

A month later he was officially warned and given a midnight curfew for the World Cup that year after a boozy night out with prop Matt Dunning.

Tuqiri was overlooked for matches against the Barbarians, Italy and France last month, despite being named in a 29-man squad.

He scored 30 tries for Australia since his debut against Ireland in 2003, but managed only two in a poor Super 14 season with the NSW Waratahs.

O'Neill also denied the player's salary, reportedly worth $700,000 a year until 2011, was a motivating factor.

"That wasn't part of our consideration," he said.

The ARU has toughened its stance on player misconduct in recent years, handing down match suspensions for relatively minor infringements, while not stinting at banning players outright for multiple offences.

Last year, the ARU banned former Wallabies scrum-half Matt Henjak indefinitely from playing professional rugby in Australia after he broke a Western Force team mate's jaw.

Reuters