Late sport Shield warning sounded

Press, 26 July 1978, Page 6

Late sport Shield warning sounded

A fear that th* winning of the Ranfuriy Shield by Canter, bury tiffs year could have a disastrous effect on club rugby next winter was voiced by Mr O. M. Noonan at last evening** meeting of the Canterbury Rugby Union’s management committee. Mr Noonan quoted the expertence of the present shield holder, Manawatu, this year. He said because of its shield challenges Manawatu had already played six of its national ehampionship games and this had left the union’s senior club competition in a shambles.

Putting club football first, Mr Noonan questioned whether the national competition was worth persisting with if It was going to mean that representative games were going to be played S 3 early in tne season. Mr Noonan found no support for his views, but the chairman, Mr R. W. Thomas, agreed that something would have to be done in protecting club competitions, especially in a season like the present one when the weather caused such havoc.

Mr Thomas asked his committee to "put their thinking caps on” and try and come up with ways in which the senior competition could be completed in good time. He tossed two suggestions into the ring: club play on Anrae Day and a full round of mid-week games. Mr J. Storey was critical of the Christchurch City Council’s ruling out grounds which he said could have been played on tills year. The council, he contended, was over-anxious in protecting the grounds for summer sports. However, other members were not of the same opinion, their view being that the grounds ruled out by the council In recent weeks, anyway, had been unplayable because of the

amount of water on them. Reporting on last Saturday's return to club rugby, Mr M. R. Inglis. of th* competitions com mittee. said that 49 games had te be shifted to new grounds and thia, he eatimsted required the making of 1823 telephone calls te clubs, coachea, players and referees. “But it all worked out welt and we got football again. I would like to thank the elute and referees for their tolerance and assistance,” said Mr Inglis. However, tn speaking generally of the disruptions of the last month, he aald the competitions committee had battled rain, ■now. fog, frosts, mint “and a hall of a lot of flak.”

SUSPENSIONS Suspensions of six week* and five week* respectively were given to two Belfast player* ordered off last Saturday S. Grev. a Belfast second-grade, section tw-o, player was stood down for six weeks, until after September 3, for kicking an opponent on the ground. Gre\, it was pointed out, had received an earlier warning for punching. The five-week spell, until after August 36. was inflicted on Andy Karatia, of the Belfast senior team. He was charged with punching. Another senior player, S»m Hale (Hornby) was «tood down for two week* for a deliberate late tackle and the judicial com mittee also investigated th* cue of three second-grade section C players, who were ordered off in the same game. On* of the three, T. Ashtan (New Brighton), was unable te appear and was stood down until he does ao. The other two. Peter Ryan and Alan Bruce (both Liewood). were denied games for one week and two weeks respectively. The offence in eacß instance was punching.