Lyttelton forfeits senior B place

Press, 27 July 1983, Page 6

Lyttelton forfeits senior B place

With its promotion to senior ranks for the D.C.L. Shield competition, the Lyttelton senior B rugby team has forfeited its place in the senior B competition, of which it was a clear leader.

The Canterbury Rugby Union’s management committee adopted this course to overcome a difficulty which Lyttelton’s promotion had caused. It had before it letters from three clubs, Christchurch, Belfast and Otautahi.

They were unhappy with the union’s original idea of awarding two points to Lyttelton’s remaining second round opponents, as it was felt this would give them an unfair advantage over the five teams Lyttelton had already beaten. To put matters right it was decided to wipe the for and against points scored in all Lyttelton’s second round games, and the teams it had not played would receive a bye. It was a shade ironical, said Mr L. J. Russell, that Lyttelton was very nearly far enough ahead to reach the semi-finals without any further points and because it had been promoted it was being denied the opportunity to win its grade. However, he agreed that the club could not expect to have it both ways and so far as was known Lyttelton was willing to forfeit its senior B place for a senior trial.

Judicial Four players appeared before the judicial committee and one of them was the Canterbury and University A forward, Dale Atkins, who was sin-binned for the third time this season last Saturday.

Atkins was let off with a severe reprimand and advised to discuss with his coaches a shoulder charge which has been getting him into strife. Two players, Les McCormick (Bumside seniors) and Dean Stamper (Hornby senior B), ordered off last Saturday for kicking offences were both suspended, McCormick for three weeks and Stamper for four.

Stamper was ordered off shortly after returning from the sin bin, where he had been sent for a similar offence.

F. Gibson (Albion second . grade), who was charged with punching another player three weeks ago, had not played since and no further penalty was imposed. , The representative of the referees’ association; Mr A. K. Mather, reported that despite bad weather and a number of late withdrawals the association’s recent golf tournament had raised $2OOO for the St John Ambulance Association. It was intended to make the tournament an annual charity event.