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Highlanders rugby halfback Jimmy Cowan has been remanded until May 23 on a charge of disorderly conduct.

Cowan, 26, was granted a remand by the registrar at Dunedin District Court this morning. He did not appear.

Cowan was charged after an alleged incident early last Sunday morning following the Highlanders' loss to the Blues at Carisbrook on Saturday night.

Details had not been confirmed but it was understood to be a fairly minor incident in the Octagon that didn't involve any property damage.

Cowan was understood to have spent time in police custody after being arrested about 6.25am.

Police said the man they arrested had listed his occupation as a student.

Earlier in the week Highlanders management denied a report that Cowan would be pulled from this week's Super 14 match against the Crusaders.

Chief executive Richard Reid said the only way a player would not be considered would be if they were unavailable.

He said any disciplinary action would have to await the result of the court process.

"If anyone has an issue before the courts that goes first and then the employer-employee thing clicks in after that," Reid said.

Yesterday the team for Saturday's match was announced, with Cowan on the bench, replaced in the starting lineup by Toby Morland.

In 2005, the Rugby Union suspended Cowan for a week when he was sent home early from a Junior All Blacks tour of Australia after an incident in a bar.

Sunday's incident came just a few weeks after Highlanders winger Lucky Mulipola was convicted of assault and driving while disqualified.

Mulipola is to be sentenced next month.

Reid denied there was a drinking culture in the team and said Highlanders players were no worse behaved off the field than others.

He said players had been given a "fairly clear message" after the Mulipola incident.