ARMY DESERTER IN RUGBY RANKS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 175, 25 July 1940, Page 18

ARMY DESERTER IN RUGBY RANKS.

ORDERED OFF FOR ROUGH

PLAY.

How a deserter was arrested by the military authorities after being ordered off the field for play in a junior Rugby match, ivas revealed at the meeting of the management committee of the Auckland Rugby Union last evening. It was stated that the player was a member of the J'cwtun intermediate team and waa ordered off a* the worst offender in an unruly team. The referee, on looking through hie list, could not And the name the player gave when ordered off. and later learned that he had been arrested. Mr. I\ J. Sheelian said that he had learned that the match was a little bit over the odds, the Newton team evidently going on the field to make it as hot as possible He thought the Newton Club should be written to in the strongest terms. Mr. A. Is. Slmmondfi, chairman of the Junior Management Board, said that what appeared to be a growing tendency toward rough play and bad language in the lower grades was causing his board concern. Another case last Saturday was that of a Suburbs intermediate player who was apparently playing under an awumed name. He had been ordered off two weeks earlier and was automatically suspended, as he had failed to appear before the board. In this case the board had requested the coaclr and captain of the team concerned, as well as the player, to nppear before it next Tuesday, while in the Newton case instructions had already been given for a letter to be sent to the club.