Lote Tuqiri will launch immediate legal action against the Australian Rugby Union as a result of the shock termination of his lucrative contract.
Tuqiri's agent, Les Ross, confirmed the Wallabies winger would fight his sacking, which was announced late yesterday by an ARU email.
"All I can tell you is that Lote disputes that the ARU are entitled to terminate his contract and he has retained solicitors to immediately commence proceedings against the ARU," Ross said.
Mystery surrounds the reason for Tuqiri's dismissal, but the ARU had been conducting an investigation into a possible breach of the players' code of conduct.
The ARU statement read: "The employment contract of Lote Tuqiri has been terminated effective today. ARU has treated this issue as a standard employment matter.
"The ARU will not make any further comment on the matter as it may be the subject of legal proceedings."
It is understood the "legal proceedings" relate to Tuqiri's action against the ARU.
It is also understood Tuqiri's absence from Australia's first four international matches this year was not related to his sacking.
One of Australia's highest paid rugby players, Tuqiri was contracted to the ARU until 2012.
Speculation about the ARU investigation had pointed to a late-night visit to the Crown Casino in Melbourne in the lead-up to last month's Test against Italy, which also reportedly involved backs Adam Ashley-Cooper and Peter Hynes.
Another report said Tuqiri had been issued with a "final warning letter" after a late-night drinking session with Wallabies teammates in 2007.
A spokesman for Tuqiri's Super 14 team, the NSW Waratahs, said the franchise would be making no comment because the matter related to an ARU investigation.
Tuqiri, 29, has had a far from squeaky clean off-field record since switching to union from NRL club Brisbane in 2003.
In 2005, he was involved in the infamous "ice-throwing" incident in Cape Town which resulted in Matt Henjak being sent home.
Among other incidents, he was sent home from a Wallabies training camp in January 2007 for failing a fitness test and months later apologised to teammate Sam Norton-Knight for shoving him and giving him a verbal spray during a match for NSW.
Speculation arose that the 67-Test veteran may consider a move back to rugby league when he was left out of Australia's first four internationals of 2009.
