Heavier Penalties For 'Dirty' Play In Bay

Northern Advocate, 7 May 1948, Page 9

Heavier Penalties For 'Dirty' Play In Bay

OHAEAWAI, Fri. (Sp.).—Amounting virtually to a clear instruction, advice in definite terms has been given all referees in the Bay of Islands to visit heavy penalties on offenders in regard to deliberately rough play, late tackling, and non-cooper-ation with the referee.

This was given at last night’s meeting here of the Bay of Islands Rugby Referees’ Association by the president (Mr W. P. Sutherland), who is himself a North Auckland referee.

Mr Sutherland, in his capacity of referees’ delegate to the Bay of Island’s Rugby sub-union, told the sub-union meeting in Ohaeawai the previous night that he intended to give this instruction to all the referees who would be giving their services in the Bay this season. He requested support from all other delegates and club representatives, and was assured by all present that it would be given fully.

Mr. I. Pausina (Kaikohe) said he understood, Stan Young had sent a five-page letter to Mr. Rogers explaining his attitude. The new international rules wiil come into force in the Bay oP'lslands sub-union’s area on May 29. New Rules

It was stated that, although Press reports were lo the effect that the three-point award for potted goals was to have been counted immediately, the only official advice on which action could properly be taken was to the effect that May 29 was thfe date for the change to come into effect.

“We intend to do our best to keep the game of Rugby clean,” he stated,

“and it is fell that this can best be done by the use of severe penalties for serious offences.” He instanced the fact that he himself had spoken to a player only the previous Saturday for putting his foot o'ut in a deliberate and obvious attempt to trip an opposing player in possession of the ball. Fortunately, he had “missed by a mile.” but when told that if he had connected he .might easily have broken the man’s leg, the offenc\ng player had merely said, “I don’t_think so.” That sort of thing was most definitely going to stop.

The referees would in future not hesitate to use their full powers. Late tackles came in for more strong criticism from Mr Sutherland. Once a player had ridded himself of the ball he was as free as the air, and no player had a right to tackle him. For these and other offences, penalties would be forthcoming aplenty.

Selection

The Bay of Islands Rugby Sub-Union management committee will have no recommendation to make on the North Auckland Rugby Union's request for nominations for a northern zone adviser to assist the Northland sole selector.

The delegate to NARU (Mr A. E. J. Corr) had read NARU minutes and correspondence dealing with the subject and some discussion was held on the turn the matter had taken both at NARU and at the Northern Wairoa sub-union’s meeting in Dargaville. As representative of the Maori Advisory Council on the North Auckland body, Mr V/. P. Barclay, also discussed the last NARU meeting. He said he had declined nomination as sole selector and also as zone adviser.

He understood that no nomination for a southern adviser was forthcoming either from Otamatea or Northern Wairoa. When the chairman called for nominations for a northern adviser, in accordance with the NARU request, none was offered.

It was then moved by Mr C. F. Jones (Ohaeawai) and seconded by Mr L. Flower (Okaihau) “that this subunion has no recommendation to make on the subject of an advisory selector for the northern zo/ie.” This motion was harried without dissent. T ransfers

Applications for transfers and regradings of many players who have played competition games on the past two Saturdays have not been in order The secretary (Mr A. E. J. Corr) produced a series of letters written by players or club secretaries. Almost all of them were faulty in some regard—dates were wrong, weights were not stated, letters had been held too long by club secretaries. One even requested. “Please return after perusal.”

The wrong dating and delay in forwarding such letters to the sub-union secretary had often meant that playeis were forced to stand on the sideline for more than the obligatory fortnight. The meeting put through what transfers and regradings it could. A proposal to waive the 14 days’ ban ov the whole number was defeated when Mr C. F. Jones (Ohaeawai) raised a dissentient voice after the chairman had ruled that it must be a unanimous vote since it involved an alteration to the sub-union’s rules.

During the discussion it appeared that most clubs in the sub-union had seemingly transgressed in one form or another, some of these transgressions being more serious than others. The Kawakavva delegate said that had it been known to his club within the required 48 hours alter the match a protest would have been lodged in regard to the game against Kaikohe last Saturday, on the ground that Kaikohe had played a man, T. Dick, who lived in South Hokianga. Mr. B. P. Robinson, the Kaikohe delegate, said the man had come from the Horeke riding and, as Horeke club was playing in the Bay sub-union by consent of the South Hokianga subunion, it had been considered that Dick could play for any club he chose within the Bay.

The secretary (Mr. A. E. J. Corr) made it clear that only registered members of the I-loreke Club could play in the Bay—and then only for Horeke club. v

Young's Position

A letter was read from the secretary of the South Hokianga sub-union (Mr. Rangi Rogers) asking the Bay sub-union to put it to Stan Young, the Kaikohe and Bay forward, that he should, “in a sporting manner," assist South Hokianga to build up Rugby there by playing in that district, where he was resident. It was stated by Mr. Corr that Mr. Rogers had raised the same matter at the North Auckland meeting in Whangarei and apparently intended to do so again. Mr. Robinson gave an assurance that Mr. Rogers was now prepared to drop the matter since it had ’ been pointed out' to him that a number of boys resident in Kaikohe and other parts of the Bay were playing in the South Hokianga competitions. In any event. South Hokianga had last year given a dispensation freely for Young to play with Kaikohe and the Bay. He had never played l'or any Hokianga team and Kaikohe had been his old club before the war. The sub-union president (Mr. H. T. Atkinson) said that the dispensation would apparently have to be given afresh for 1948 and a communication will be sent to South Hokianga asking for its renewal.

GIFT TO EX-CONTROLLER A contribution of £3/3/- will be made by the Bay of Islands Power Board to the Dominion Power Boards Association’s fund to provide a presentation for Mr F. T. M. Kissel, retiring Electricity Controller.