ROUGH PLAY DENIED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18087, 7 August 1936, Page 6

ROUGH PLAY DENIED

HUNTLY LEAGUE MATCH ORDERING OFF INCIDENT ENGLISH TEAM’S COMMENT (Per Press Association.) HAMILTON, this day. ,). Brough, captain ol’ the English Rugby League team, expressed surprise that there had been continent on rough plav in the game against South Auckland played in 1 1 uni ly yesterday. Not at any time did he threaten to take his team oh the field. lie said the match was one of the cleanest of the tour. It was unfortunate thtii injuries were suffered by the English players, but that was liable to happen in any game o( football.

With regard to the ordering off of Hodgson, nobody, lie' stated, was more surprised than the opposing players, lie asked the referee why Hodgson was sent oil, and the referee replied that he saw Hodgson strike a, player. When he questioned the referee as to who was the played Hodgson had struck, nobody seemed to know.

"I asked the referee to reverse his Ji vision." said llmtlgh. "We are here to give a good display of football, and whin llodg.wm was ordered oil we then had two players off the field injured. We are to play football, win or lose.”

Any suggestion of roughness or foul play was liatly denied by Mr. W. I’oppelwell, co-manager of the English team, lie said (hat lie was very surprised to hear that there had been any ill-feeling in the match, lie had seen the game and there was no untoward incident, ‘the statement that Brough would take his team off the field was absurd. In England both the captain and team would he suspended sine die if they walked oil the field.

Several players of the English leant appealed Mr. Boppelwell’s views.

Tim referee later staled that during an argument, Brough threatened to walk off. 'The referee replied, "If you don’t keep quiet, 1 will send you off.” South Auckland players stated that there had been rough play.

The business manager of the English Rugby League team to-day received a cable message from (he English Rugby L'ague staling that it was impossible owing to shipping arrangements to delay -tin- sailing time for the team’s return to England. Consequently, the propostil (o play it match against a representative Maori team has been abandoned.