"PUT THE BOOT IN"

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 22, 9 June 1939, Page 8

"PUT THE BOOT IN"

A SIDE-LINE INCIDENT UNION MEMBER APOLOGTSES The conduct of Mr I. Tunui (V'oro- 1 poro), a member of the Whakatane 1 Rugby Sub-Union executive, during ' a junior game on the Whakatane Domain., was discussed on Wednesday ( night when the sub_union executive 1 met at Taneatua. After Mr Tunui ; had made a statement and delegates 1 had spoken, it was Resolved to accept Mr Tunui's regrets that the in- i cideiit had arisen and transmit them : to the Whakatane Referees' Association who had made the complaint. Mr L. Lvsaght (Referees) intro. duced the matter when he said that he had an unpleasant duty to perform. A member of the management committee, who was also a selector, when on the line during a junior ' match used the words "Put the boot in. Kick them oil" the field.'' The : referees wished to know if the union : was going to allow that sort of talk to go on. 1 MR TUNUI'S REGRETS. Mr Tunui said that as a representative of the Rugby Union he regret. , ted his action. However, he had no recollection of saying ''Put the boot , in." The wristle had blown for a free kick and a couple of seconds later the referee allowed a try to be scored. As a representative of Poroporo he resented the attitude of the referee, but if he had said "Put lie boot in" he would apologise to the referee. He had been angry because of the .wrong decision. Once a referee gave his decision he should a.bide by it, i and as a representative of Poroporo i his attitude had been that he. wanted fair play. He thought he was right and he thought that there were others present who heard the whistle blow for a free kick. If he was wrong he apologised to the Referees' Association. CHAIRMAN'S ATTITUDE. Mr W. S. chairman, said that the incident was most distasteful. They were a happy family on the union but he was not going t 0 shirk his responsibility, and he would shy that it did not matter whether the referee blew his whistle once or twenty times—that was no excuse for a member of the executive ''turning on, the lire works." The referees had a difficult task, but they did their duty towards the game and it did no£ matter how many mistakes they made—they should not be criticised by an executive member. Actions 3 ueh as this did not do the. game any good for they influenced people on the side lines, and seniors, juniors and third grade players. He hoped that as, long as he was on the union a similar case would not occur. He quite believed that Mr Tunui did not remember the remark: "Put the boot in'' as he was ''pretty furious" at the time, but he hoped Mr Tunui would not give vent to his feelings in- future. He was quite sure that Mr Tunui's r<?gret was genuine. The Rev. W. Ran'gi (Ruatoki) agreed with Mr Henderson. Mf J. Gonolly (Whakatane) s?id that he would move that a letter be sent to the Referees' Association expressing the union's and this wag agreed on with Mr Tunui's support .