REFEREE INSULTED

Taranaki Daily News, 8 August 1930, Page 7

REFEREE INSULTED

RUGBY SENSATION AT THAMES. CIVIL ACTION DISCUSSED. A sensation was caused at a meeting of the Thames Rugby Union when Mr. G. Bjichari, president of the Referees’. Association, reported that subsequent to his ordering off of two players, R. Comer and B. Harrison, in Saturday’s match, Harrison had used, an insulting and obscene remark to him, and that later in the. evening a player in the City team had . approached Buchan s sister in the street and had asked her: “How much did .your brother make out •of the match?” . . . _ . Mr. Buchan asked where this sort of thing was going to stop. Referees were used to abuse in the ordinaly course of events, but when the matter became as personal as this had done he felt-inclined to “chuck in the game.” If this sort of .thing was to be allowed to go on, • they . would soon . have no referees left, in . Thames at all, for no one was going to put up with that sort of abuse.. No referee minded fair criticism of his rulings, but this had gone too far. . Great regret • was expressed by the chairman, Mr. H. G. Murray, that the matter was outside. the union’s jurisdiction, as the . actions did not take place on its property, but he advised that if the referee contemplated civil proceedings he would have tne backing of the union. Other members stated that Harrison’s action, though certainly deplorable, was not so bad as the other man’s, as it was said in the heat of the moment, and there vzas a doubt if the words complained of had been addressed to Mr. Buchan; but in the case of the remark made in the evening, there was no excuse, and the union regretted that it could take no action. A motion was carried that Mr. Buchan be notified that the union regretted the incidents, and requested him in case of any similar subsequent incident of the kind to take civil remedy, when he would have the union’s full backing. It was also decided to notify the player mentioned by Air. .Buchan that the union very strongly disapproved of his action. For kicking each other, the only charge under which the union could deal° with Comer and Harrison, both were suspended for one playing Saturday.