Dalzell affair causes ripples

Press, 28 February 1981, Page 60

Dalzell affair causes ripples

By

JOHN BROOKS

Ripples in rugby’s pond have spread from Christchurch to Wellington and might be moving back again as the result of the disclosure by the reinstated union player, Rex Dalzell, that he * played league for money in England and New Zealand.

The president of the Canterbury Rugby Union, Mr B. J. Drake, has asked for a copy of the reinstatement form from the

offices of the New Zealand union, in Wellington, and the national body might request an investigation in Christchurch. “I don’t think we have had a case quite like this before,” Mr Drake said yesterday. Dalzell’s application for reinstatement from league to union was handled in Christchurch on November 25 last year, and subsequently approved by the

New Zealand union. But this week Dalzell confirmed he had received money for playing league for Warrington (Lancashire), Canterbury and the Linwood club — which contravenes the union rules relating to amateurism. Dalzell said he had made no mention of his activities with Warrington on the reinstatement form and admitted he had underestimated the

amount he had received for playing in this country. Applicants for reinstatement were now required to sign a statutory declaration before a justice of the peace to affirm that the details were correct, Mr Drake said. This was a recent change made by the national body to relieve provincial unions from making inquiries. The Canterbury union, in this type of matter, regarded

itself as a clearing house. “Perhaps the next move is up to the New Zealand union,” Mr Drake said. “If it asked us to make further inquiries we would be bound to do so.” Admittedly’, the form was couched in terms of involvement in New Zealand league, and this was something which might need altering, he said, But the Canterbury union’s management committee needed to study, just what

Dalzell had said in his application. “If he had disclosed everything we would have made further inquiries,” he said. Mr Drake said he believed that it was over to the New Zealand union to direct Canterbury to take some action. “Once we’ve heard from Wellington we will decide what action to take, and if Wellington says we must, we will.”