Union To Act On Orderings Off

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32011, 11 June 1969, Page 16

Union To Act On Orderings Off

The Canterbury Rugby Union intends to deal severely with players ordered off in matches under its jurisdiction. The management committee decided on this stand last evening after dealing with two young players who were sent from the field last Saturday.

Mr R. W. Thomas said there had been a number of orderings off this season, and it behove the union to deal with these cases with severity. All clubs are to be notified of the union's decision.

The players who appeared before the committee last evening were P. Brady (Marist third grade), who was suspended for one playing Saturday, and N. Bills (Shirley under-19), who was suspended for two. 4

Brady was ordered off in a game against Burnside. The referee (Mr P. N. Anderson) said a player from each side had adopted threatening attitudes and Brady had run 10-15 yards, pulled the Burnside player towards him, and was ready to hit him. Previous Warnings Previously, said Mr Anderson, he had made three warnings to individuals—for punching. stiff-arm tackling and for walking on a player. He had then given a general warning that the next player to offend would be sent off.

“I was not ready to hit him; I was pulling him (the Burnside player) away,” said Brady. Earlier in the game, he said, he had been struck by two Burnside players, who had been warned by the referee.

“You should not take matters into your own hands,” said the chairman (Mr C. H. McPhail). “The referee is there to control the game.”

Mr S. E. Husband said he felt Brady had been the victim of circumstances, but his amendment that the Marist player be severely reprimanded was lost.

Abusive Remark Alleged The referee of the Sydenham v. Shirley under-19 game (Mr D. G. Sanders) said Bills had made an abusive remark to him after he had awarded a try to Sydenham. Bills had twice refused to come when

called and had then refused to give his name. Mr Sanders said he then ordered Bills from the field, but he refused to leave. Eventually he left when spoken to by his captain. Bills denied swearing, and said he had left the field at the referee’s bidding. "I did not agree with the decision and I spoke without thinking.” he said. “I have cooled down now and I regret what I did." Mr M. R. Barnett proposed that Bills should be suspended for four Saturdays as it was "a pretty poor show” to abuse a referee. The player’s attitude undermined the whole structure of Rugby, said Mr D. B. Doake. Defiant opposition to the referee’s decisions was to be deplored. He described the matter as “one of the worst cases we have had before us." Opposition to the motion came from Mr J. O. Hattersley, who said four Saturdays was too harsh a penalty to be imposed on a boy whose name would be published in connection with the incident.