Water polo players suspended

Press, 9 December 1982, Page 40

Water polo players suspended

PA Wellington Three of New Zealand’s top water polo players have been suspended until they repay money they owe the national team manager, Rex Freer, of Wellington. The three, Wellington’s Wayne Mills and two Christchurch brothers, Nigel and Stephen Ward, were suspended late last month and were therefore ruled out of contention for the New Zealand team named this week to compete in a big international tournament in Australia in early January. Mr Freer underwrote the costs of several players travelling to Ecuador for the world championships in August. Two of those players, the Ward brothers, have not yet repaid the $11)00 each they borrowed. The total cost of the trip to each player was $lOOO. Mill’s ease is slightly different. He too owes Mr Freer money, about $lOO lent to him to help assemble with the New Zealand team, which met China last May in Christchurch. ' The Water Polo Board has written repeatedly to the players and has not received any money, or a suitable explanation. At the meeting on November 4, the board decided to suspend the three players, but first wrote once

more. Again they received no reply. Peter Walls, the chairman of the board, said that the suspension had come only as a last resort: “We don’t like to go around suspending plavers,” he said, “but they have to learn that you must pay your debts.” “We’ve had a bit of trouble in the past with this sort of thing and now we’ve decided to clamp down. “While the loss of the players is a shame for the New Zealand team, no one is irreplacable and frankly, if this is their attitude over this matter, maybe there’s not a lot of water polo ahead of them anyway.” Of the W’ard brothers, Nigel, aged 18, is considered to have exceptional natural talent. “He’s certainly got the ability,” Mr Walls said, “but mentally he has a long way to go. If he doesn’t settle down a bit I don’t know that he’ll make the grade.” Mr Walls said” that several other players had borrowed money from Mr Freer to go to Ecuador. “They have since paid him back. That’s fine — not everyone can lay their hands on $lOOO at a particular moment.” The Ward brothers could not be contacted for comment last evening.