Rep. Footballer Cautioned By Executive

Chronicle (Levin), 21 July 1948, Page 4

Rep. Footballer Cautioned By Executive

. — - • > Arising out Of 'tlie seriidr game betWeen Wanderers • ahd Otaki- j Rahui on SatUrday, a Wanderers player and HordWehua repregentativfe, K. Selby-, appeared before the manageiiiefit cbmmitte ' ' of ' the Rugby Union last night, eharged With striki'ng an opposing player. After the . evidence of the ref eree and the- player coricerned was heard, it was deeided that the player be cautioned. •' Writing to the. union, the ref eree, Mr. L. Sa-yer, stated that He had ordered Selby off for adMmistbrmg "fOUr. hard punches to an opposing player during the game. His action was absoiUtely' uncalled . for." '.Asked for ari explanation, Selby frankly ' admitted hittirig ' thb player, stating that" the ' Incident occ'Urred during a ruck When he had been held in' a mannbr whicli Was most prbvoking, and under the circumstances he had been justified in the action he had taken to extricate himself. He had struck the player on the bhoulder in order not to hurt him, and if. he had wished to hurt him. he certainly Would riibst certainiy have struck

him elsewhere. He added in reply to a question that he had riever before been in trouble on the football field. During the discussion which followed, various members of the committee saiM that they considered that Selby had been undef cott- ; siderable duress. :• Selby was -a representative player , and although he agreed that he . had . been under every provocation, , dirty play ;vhad to 'be elifniriated, said Mr. A. Watt, in mpving that he [ be stood down for tnree playing ' Saturdays. In seconding the motion, Mr; C. i E. Wiseley said that although he i' believed Selby 's story, the commiti te'e had recently accepted the evi- . dence of provocation in regard to r a junior player who had been told : that he could not take the law into r his own hands. The' same ' should [ stand for this senior player. I- Moving an amendment that Selby be placed on the cautioned 3 list, Mr. C. Wilkinson said that he considered Selby had been justified 3 in the -"action he had taken under . the circumstances. He was support- ; ed in this by Mr. D. Oliver. After 1 further discussion, the amendment . was carried by a majority vote.