APOLOGY DEMANDED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 39, 15 August 1939, Page 6

APOLOGY DEMANDED

REMARKS TO REFEREE

WANGANUI RESENTMENT

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

WANGANUI, August 14,

Resentment at the action of Mr. N. A. McKenzie, sole selector for the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union, in criticising the referee of the recent interprovincial match between Hawke's Bay and Wanganui, was expressed at a meeting of the Wanganui Rugby Referees' Association tonight. A motion was carried asking for an apology from Mr. McKenzie, and the Wanganui Rugby Union is to be asked for its support in bringing-the subject before the Hawke's Bay and New. Zealand Unions. The referee in question, Mr. G. Thrush, reported to th<* meeting that before the match started, Mr. McKenzie asked him how he intended to rule on the scrummage, and Mr. Thrush replied that Mr. McKenzie would see when the teams went on the field. "After the match, in the referees' room and in the presence of another referee, Mr. McKenzie criticised my scrummage rulings," Mr. Thrush said. **I do not resent criticism and believe that we should take it, as it does us all good, but I do object to the language Mr. McKenzie used." "Mr. McKenzie is not the Tsar of Rugby," said Mr. W. Molan. They had a right to object to the type of language used.

After a, discussion the following motion- was carried unanimously:— "That this association strongly resents the remarks and language used by Mr. McKenzie, sole selector for the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union, to Mr. Thrush, the referee in the recent Wanganui-Hawke's Bay representative Rugby match, and demands an apology from Mr. McKenzie."

Telephoned from Wanganui tonight. Mr. McKenzie was tbld the wording of the motion, and asked if he had any comment to make.

"My remarks were made to Mr. Thrush," said Mr. McKenzie. "They were not for publication, and referred to a matter between Mr. Thrush and myself. I have discussed it with nobody else since. I have nothing more to say than that."