PROTEST NOT UPHELD

Chronicle (Levin), 11 August 1948, Page 5

PROTEST NOT UPHELD

1 Rugby Union Rules On Late Start Oi Game 'The Horowhenua Rugby Union's management committee will not uphold the protest' lodged by the Hui Mai Club as the result of the late playing of its match with Otaki-Rahui seniors at Manakau on a recent Saturday. There will, therefore, be no alteration in the position of the teams in the senior competition. Three teams, Hui Mai, Wanderers and Athletic, are even with 15 points each, with one more game yet to play. Stating that he consi'dered ' the union's attitude over the matter was wrong in principal, and voicing strong objeetion, Mr. D, Oliver indicated that the Hui Mai Club would appeal against the committee's decision to the New Zealand Rugby Union. The president, Mr. A. L. Gillespie, said that he would like to see the matter go before the N.Z.R.U. for a ruling, and that if the club wrote to the management committee, the secretary would pass the appeal on to that body. The circumstances as outlined by the Hui Mai team in a letter read at last week's union meeting were that the Otaki-Rahui team ha'd arrived on the field nearly an hour late, and that the Hui Mai members had approached the referee and requested him to call off the game, as the rules laid down that a team had to be on the field within ten minutes after the advertised time, otherwise the referee could call off the match. The referee was stated to have been unsure of his position, and the game had been played on the arrival of the Otaki-Rahui team. The union decided to reserve its decision until it was ascertained whether the Otaki-Rahui team had been notified by Hui Mai of the intention of that club to enter a protest. At last night's meeting a letter from Otaki-Rahui stated that notification to that effect had been issued to the cluo within the stipulated period. During discussion, Mr. E. J. Cook said that the decision one way or the other did not mean much to Otaki-Rahui in so far as the championship was concerned. - Hui Mai was a good neighbour of Otaki's land, if any thing, he thought that 'the ref-eree had failed in his duty. It seemed, however, that Hui Mai must have thought it had a good chance of winning the match when it took the field, as it had agreed to play it. , The secretary, Mr. J. E. Fullarton, said that lie thought the mere fact that Hui Mai accepted the match made the rule void. "If this union allows a team to come on one hour late, then it has rafferty rules," said Mr.- Oliver. The decision was not one >Tor a' referee to make. The .referee had not the power to call tlie game off or award it to - the other side. The rule merely stated that a referee "may" call off the game. Hui Mai's protest was based- on the facts leading up to the defeat. The players were stripped and waiting to take the field, and some' engaged in practice games for-half an hour. Others had walked away, with the result that when Otaki-Rahui arrived Hui Mai had been iprced to bring on men from the sideline to make up a team. The' club was protesting not because it was beaten, but because of the • circumstances. He suggested that the game should be replayed. Either the rule was right or wrong, said Mr. C. Wilkinson, but the game could not be replayed. A decision one way or the other had to be made by the committee. After further discussion, Mr. Cook moved that the appeal be disallowed and this was seconded by Mr. T. Winiata. Moving an amendment, Mr. Oliver said that the game should be replayed. ^The amendment lapsed for want of a seconder and the motion was earried by a majority vote.