Rugby victim returns to school

Press, 13 July 1988, Page 5

Rugby victim returns to school

PA Wellington Benson Kerse, aged 14, who had his jaw broken by a punch in a secondary school rugby match last month, is expected to return to school today but says he does not know the fate of the player who hit him. Benson was punched when he apparently tried to break up a fight in an under-15 match between Wellington College and Porirua’s Aotea College. The incident sparked a protest by the principal of Wellington College, Mr Harvey Rees-Thomas, who said he would be dis-

gusted if Benson’s parents did not take court action against the player responsible. But yesterday Benson’s father, Mr Michael Kerse, said no complaint would be laid with the police. Mr Kerse said he had wanted the matter sorted out by the principals of the two colleges and Mr Rees-Thomas had told him it had been resolved. “I do not know what has happened,” Mr Kerse said. The principal of Aotea College, Mr Peter Quin, who met Mr Rees-Thomasand

members of the Wellington Secondary Schools’ Rugby Union judicial committee to discuss the incident late last month, could not be contacted last evening. Mr Kerse said Benson had wiring from his jaw and several stitches on the inside of his mouth removed yesterday. He said his son was keen to get back to school and could go today, depending on how he felt. “He is pretty keen to get back to rugby too but that could be a while yet,” Mr Kerse said.