Rugby flayers pay for damage

Press, 17 April 1982, Page 6

Rugby flayers pay for damage

Marist club rugby players who damaged property at the Avon Motor Lodge on Easter Day have settled the repair bill, according to the lodge’s management. The lodge had accommodated 83 members and supporters of rugby teams from Ashburton, Gore, and Invercargill who competed in the annual South Island Marist clubs’ tournament which was held in Christchurch last week-end.

Damage which was said to have cost several hundred dollars to repair was caused when players returning from a social function on Sunday evening left behind broken windows, door handles, light fittings, and furniture. The lodge’s manager, Mr Eric Hunter, said that the matter had been “amicably resolved." Each player had been charged $2 to cover the bill to repair the damage and the Christchurch Marist Club had agreed to pay any additional costs. The tour’s organisers had also been

given a list of players who had occupied rooms and the matter would be taken up at branch level.

The repair bill was small compared with the "insurmountable” damage to the lodge's reputation in the eyes of overseas tourists and other guests who had been disturbed by the noise. Mr Hunter said.' The lodge would not accept any more rugby teams as guests. Mr Hunter disputed a statement by the manager of the St Mary’s rugby team of Gore, Mr Ray Watson, who said yesterday that his team had not been responsible for any of the damage and had been cleared by the lodge’s reception after a room inspection.

Mr Hunter said that no team had been cleared of responsibility for the damage. All the rooms had been an “absolute disgrace,” incluuding those which had been occupied by the Gore players. _