A little sleight of ...

Press, 26 June 1989, Page 40

A little sleight of ...

By JOHN COFFEY The beleagured Hornby senior rugby team is likely to be censured for using a suspended rugby league player against Christchurch at Denton Oval last Saturday. Shane Hand, who made his rugby league debut for Canterbury at fullback earlier this month, spent part of his seven-match suspension keeping match fit with Hornby in its 74-4 loss to Christchurch.

On the evening of June 14 Hand had been sent from the field while playing for the Hornby premier rugby league team against Linwood at the Addington Show Grounds. Six matches of his suspension were incurred for kicking out at an opponent in a play-the-ball. He was stood down for an additional game for using foul language on his way to the dressing room. Hornby’s 14-8 rugby league win over Halswell at Leslie Park on Saturday would have been the second of Hand’s seven matches on the sidelines — instead, he was rather busy trying to stem the tide of Christchurch attacks a kilometre or so down the main road.

“At the time we picked him in the team I didn’t know who he was — we don’t ask where they come from,” said the Hornby (rugby union) coach, John Te Amo.

There was no suggestion Hornby tried to hide Hand’s identity. He was listed in the programmes which, ironically, are printed by Te Amo’s own firm.

“I was aware as soon as I saw him running that he just wasn’t anybody off the street. He looked good among our blokes I can tell you,” said Te Amo.

“It looks like I’ll get a smack over the knuckles. Does this mean he can’t play next week?’ he said. The Canterbury Rugby League chairman, Bevan Olsen, said he was “disturbed” a suspended player in one code was playing in the other. “We have an understanding between us that noone plays if they are under suspension. We always advise the union of really long suspensions •— something like the rest of the season. “Unfortunately, this wasn’t considered serious enough for that to be done,” said Mr Olsen. Murray Inglis, the president of the Canterbury Rugby Union, said that inquiries would be made into the matter with the Hornby Club. “If he is a league player he should not have played without a reinstatement anyway, suspended or not,” said Mr Inglis. “We hope to get some rapport with the league people over such cases. I think it is essential. Neither code wants players who receive long suspensions,” he said.