Canterbury prop suspended

Press, 28 June 1989, Page 64

Canterbury prop suspended

The Canterbury and Marist prop, Tala Kele, has been suspended for four playing Saturdays after being ordered off in a senior club match against High School Old Boys on Saturday.

The chairman of the Canterbury Rugby Union’s judicial sub-committee, Charlie Rhodes, reported that Kele had been dismissed for foul play and he was not to resume playing until after July 22. A Marist fourth grade player who was ordered off for foul play on June 10 was also stood down

for four playing Saturdays. The Hornby club will receive a severe reprimand from the provincial union after it admitted playing a suspended premier rugby league footballer against Christchurch on Saturday. “It was regrettable from the union’s and from the Hornby club’s point of view,” the union chairman, Murray Inglis, said last evening after hearing a letter of explanation from the club. “The club must be

severely reprimanded — it is illegal for league players to play rugby if they are not reinstated. We must express our displeasure to Hornby and advise them to keep a closer eye on their team selections in future.” The president of the Hornby club, Dave Forrester, offered “reasons rather than excuses” for the appearance of Hand, a Canterbury and Hornby rugby league player who is serving a seven-match suspension incurred after he was sent off in a club match on June 14.

Mr Forrester stated that the Hornby coach, John Te Amo, had been unaware of the position and had been concerned at getting a full team on the field after being two players short at one point. Mr Forrester’s letter stated that the club could not condone Hornby being used as a keep fit team by others and that Mr Te Amo had been made aware that applications for reinstatement had to be approved for rugby league players switching to rugby.”