Kaiapoi ‘pressure' alleged in rugby row

Press, 31 May 1980, Page 56

Kaiapoi ‘pressure ' alleged in rugby row

By

JOHN BROOKS

Because most of its players and supporters lived comparatively close to Christchurch, the Kaiapoi Rugby Club was iexposed to pressure from a section of its members who would like to have the best of both worlds without the responsibilities of This was said yesterday by the president of the North Canterbury Rugby Sub-union, Mr Russell Croft. He was commenting on the rejection of the Kaiapoi club’s appeal over the dispensation issue concerning its “under-17” team — a decision, Mr Croft pointed out with some warmth, that was made by a meeting of representatives of ’ all North Canterbury clubs. He described graphically his reaction to a story on

the matter in “The Press” yesterday. “I was so churned up that my morning cup of tea was untouched and my tractor is still in the middle of the paddock.” Mr Croft claimed that the Kaiapoi club had been weak in its efforts to resist this pressure from some of its members.-

“In fact, by leading requests for dispensation it has created pressure that would not otherwise have existed,” he said. “Everyone knows that the 16 to 19 age group is a difficult one to cater for at any time, and every administrator would like to have' a grade for .each year or two years. “But the number wanting the play makes threes years the only satisfactory

solution for North Canterbury at the moment, and the more that go outside the sub-union the less likely that even that will be a success. If one club takes its 16-year-olds

away it gives it the advantage of having only 17 and 18-year-olds left.” The Kaiapoi team at the centre of the row was placed in the North Canterbury under-19 grade but sought dispensation to play in a Town competition more suitable for its players’ ages. The squad consisted of two 17-year-olds, 14 16-year-olds, and one 15-year-old. Mr Croft said that the

Kaiapoi team in question and a side from Amberley had originally entered as under-18 teams when applications were called for, but this -was insufficient to form a competition.

Both teams were then placed in the under-19 grade, and Amberley was expected to do well when the competition was divided into top and bottom groups.

It had lost by some big margins, but had also gained two wins with a squad containing three 15-year-olds, seven 16-year- ( olds and six 17-year-olds, as well as four boys who were 18.

He said it was interesting to note, in view of Kaiapoi’s lament that its players were too young for the grade, that.Rangiora, the leading side, had seven boys aged 16 in its ranks.

The three-year age gap In the grade was not peculiar to North Canterbury, Mr Croft added. The Ellesmere sub-union had, until this season, two such groupings, from under-13 to under-16, and from under-16 to under-19. This season an under-18 grade had been introduced. Mr Croft claimed that North Canterbury administrators had a greater understanding of the problems and needs of players than “dissidents in Kaiapoi” would allow. “The Kaiapoi club cannot be. granted any privi-

lege not available to other clubs,” he said. “If all clubs were■ to send their 16-year-old players to Christchurch, would we have even an under-19 competition?” Support for Mr Croft came from Mr Jim Wilson, a life member of the, sub-union.

“Surely the people associated with rugby in Kaiapoi cannot be so selfish or lacking in understanding that they cannot see the logical thing to do is to build a team or teams with a balance of players covering the three years,” he said. “By trying to stick with rigid age grouping for too long, Kaiapoi is making its own problem. So for God’s sake stop blaming the North Canterbury subunion.”