RUGBY PLAYERS PENALISED FOR ROUGH TACTICS

Evening Star, Issue 26135, 24 June 1947, Page 3

RUGBY PLAYERS PENALISED FOR ROUGH TACTICS

The names of two senior .players were placed on the cautioned list and a junior player was suspended for .the remainder of the season at the- fortnightly meeting of the Management Committee of the Otago Rugby'lfoothall Union last night. Illegal play reported to have occurred in competition matches was discussed in committee for an hour and a-half, and at the conclusion of the inquiries into incidents of alleged rough play the following statements were issued“As a result of. rough playr in the Kaikorai-University first grade match, the names of two players were placed on the cautioned list, and it was decided to write to the clubs;.concerned expressing the, union’s disapproval of the conduct of the teams on. the field. The charges could not be laid against anv particular players, and to avoid victimisation by suspending, a. man, the names of the reported instigators were placed on the cautioned list. : “ For striking a member of another team after a match, a fourth grade player was suspended for the remainder of the season.” , REFEREE AT INVERCARGILL. Again in committee, the Management Committee discussed the appointment of a referee for tlie match Otago v. Southland, at Invercargill, on Avgust 2. Tn a statement to the Press the president, Air R. W. 5... Botting, said -that tlie secretary had been instructed to write to the New Zealand Rugby Union enclosing a copy of the Southland Union’s letter, which stated that an outside referee would not be appointed. A rule was.quoted on’the point. It was decided to mention the ruling given to Otago delegates at the annual meeting of delegates to the I New Zealand Rugby. Union and • ask for the union’s decision. f Tlie rule which Southland quoted in defence of its decision not to appoint an outside referee stated that unions were not entitled to appoint outside referees for ordinary interprovincial matches which had been declared Ranfurlv Shield games. Only to special challenge matches could outside referees be appointed.