Rugby player out for 3 days

Press, 12 April 1978, Page 32

Rugby player out for 3 days

Wayne Wooster, the University A forward who was ordered off in the first ound of senior rugby last Saturday, was suspended until after April 29 — three □laying days — when he appeared before the Canteroury union’s judicial committee last evening, Reporting later to the union’s management committee, the judicial chairman, Mr J. G. Mullins, said Wooster was charged with ticking at the ball in a dangerous manner when it was held by a rival Suburbs player on the ground. The action took place after the whistle had gone. Mr Mullins said he was sorry to see a player ordered off on the first Saturday of the season and he hoped

that there would not be any more, similar incidents. The sixth (under-18 open) grade, which has given the union ple r " of heat' es this year, would begin with two grading rounds, said the competitions chairman, Mr W. A. Russell. He said that the grade had been split into two sections, with the strongest under-17 teams of last year placed in the top grade along with the secondary school first fifteens, which at the request of the schools have dropped down from the under-19 grade. “It will take us two weeks to sort out the relative strengths of the teams in this grade and get two sections that best serve the

interests of everyone,” said Mr Russell. The management committee received a request I from the University club fori dispensations to be allowed for 11 players over the under-18 age limit. The clubi stated that the players were! not up to under-19 standard,! but added that no more than four of the over-age players would be selected for any one game. However, the union, in line with a policy decision it made last week, granted dispensations for only three players whose birthdays placed them no more than three months over-age. Mr Russell said the competition entries gave a promising start to the season. There was a slight in-

crease in the number of’ open-grade teams and a larger one in the administered by the junior' advisory board. The new Parklands club, will field four teams, one ini a 15-a-side grade and three in the midget 10-a-side grades. There are a total of 86 teams entered in the two 10-a-side grades and this was described as very satisfactory by Mr Russell. Members of the Canterbury team' will have ah early chance to catch the eye of the new All Black selector, Mr Peter Burke. In a letter to the union, Mr Burke said he would be in Christchurch on April 25 to watch Canterbury play Marlborough.