RUGBY FOOTBALL

Grey River Argus, 31 July 1940, Page 5

RUGBY FOOTBALL

Man Ordered OH ARREST AS DESERTER FOLLOWS AUCKLAND, July 30. The remarkable case of a player who was ordered off the field, and, after the game, was arrested as a deserter by the military authorities, who were'looking for him under a different' name from that which he gave when ordered off, was reported at the meeting of the Aucklanu Rugby Union. It was stated that the player waa member of the Newton intermediate team, and the referee, Mr. J. J. Hinton, in reporting on the game, said the team made no attempt to play as a team. Finally, he ordereu. off the worst offender, but afterwards, on looking through the teamsheet, he could not find the narmgiven, and learned later that the player in question had been arrested by the military authorities. Mr. P. J. Sheehan said he ban heard from impartial, sources that the game was a little bit “over the odds.” Apparently the Newton team went out with the idea of making things as hot as possible. He nau been informed that afterwards, when the player ordered off was arrested as a deserter, there had appeared to be a possibility of trouble between hi s team and the representatives of the military authorities. He thought the Newton club should be written to in ths' strongest terms Mr. A. L. Simmonds, chairman <n the Junior Management Board, saia that what appeared to be a growing tendency toward rough play and bad language in the lower grades was causing his board concern. Another case last Saturday was that of a Suburbs intermediate player who wa s apparently playing under an assumed name. He had been ordered off' two weeks earlier and was automatically suspended, as he had failed to appear before the board, in this case the board had requested the coach and captain of the team concerned, as well as the player, to appear before it next Tuesday, while in the Newton case instructions naa already been given for a letter to be sent to the club.