Rugby Team's Late Arrival Leads To Protest

Chronicle (Levin), 4 August 1948, Page 4

Rugby Team's Late Arrival Leads To Protest

Protesting at' the late arrival at a competition fixture of the OtakiRahui senior team, the Hui Mai Football Club last night wrote to the management committee of the Horowhenua Rugby Union. It was stated that the Otaki team had arrived neariy an hour late, and that under the rules of rfigby the referee shouid have • awarded the game to - the team on the field if. the opposing team was not pres- . entHen minutes after the advertised time of commencement. , In the letter the Hui Mai Club ,pointed out that after the team had been standing about for 20 minutes, the referee had been approached and requested to call the game off. The referee had not been sure of his position and the game had been played on the arrival of the Otaki rteam. | It was found that a senioir team could not be fielded on- that day and after much delay some junior I players had been included, said Mr. 'A. Watt, for the Otaki-Rahui Club. | The Hui Mai team was . reluctant 1 to protest, said Mr, D. Oliver-, but it [had been beaten by a team which !had never won a competition game before. It was felt that the circuihstances had had a great deal to do with Hui Mai losing the game. The Hui Mai boys had been stripped and waiting about for over jhalf an hour, but the referee was not prepared to> do -anything about it. A practice game had then been ehgaged in by some of the players, while others had left the ground. As a result of ;some being missing, replacements ;had been found from the juniors; He did not think that Hui Mai wanted the game awarded to them, j added Mr. Oliver. To his mind the" Ifairest way would be to have the game replayed. j It was pointed out during discussion that under the rules a referee may declare the game off, and the 'ultimate decrsion rested with the management committee. | Mr. C ' E. Wiseley stated that the referees had now been instructed : that shouid such a position . again larise, the game w4s to bo cailed off 'without a deeisibii." 'H.- 5 « "-After further- ' discussion it was decided that the question be held over till next Tuesday, during which time it could be ascertained whether a copy of the Hui Mai protest had been sent to the Otaki-Rahui Club 'in accordanne w^th the rules.