Rugby culprits to apologise

Press, 15 September 1976, Page 6

Rugby culprits to apologise

The four members of the Canterbury. B rugby team responsible for the trouble the team experienced during its stay at the DB Black and White Hotel in Westport two weeks ago have made themselves known to the president of the Canterbury Rugby Union (Mr C. H. J. Rhodes).

Mr Rhodes attended the team’s training last evening and he later told a meeting of the union’s management committee of his findings. He said the players admited causing the damage complained of and it amounted to $22. The players had apologised and Mr Rhodes said he had asked the team to write a letter of apology to the hotel.

The union will be doing likewise and Mr Rhodes, who will be visiting Westport shortly, said he hoped that the hotel might reconsider its decision to ban Canterbury teams. Although the committee was in agreement that the matter should be pursued no further, Mr J. G. Mullins said he would like to know how many guests were in the hotel and how many had been inconvenienced. "But.” he continued, "one hell of a fuss has been caused and I am far frbm happy about the part the acting manager played. He was willing to open the bar and sell liquor until all hours of the night, but yet not prepared to take the consequences.”