Referee Calls off Rugby Game at Manakau

Chronicle (Levin), 11 October 1948, Page 4

Referee Calls off Rugby Game at Manakau

For the second time this season the senior rugby fixture, OtakiRahui v. Hui Mai senicrs was declared a "No Game," this time by the referee Mr. L. Sayers. The second speil was well advance'd with no score to either side when Mr. Sayers ordered a Hui Mai player off the field. Shortly afterwards he ordered the spectators back from the sideline, but apparently they di'd not at once comply, for a. few minutes later he blew his whistle and called the game off. According to a spectator standing near the scene, "tension among tne spectators was running pretty high." This fixture, which is a championship one, was originally played off at Manakau on Saturday, July 24, Otaki-Rahui turning on the surprise of the season by beating Hui Mai, one of the three top teams in the ehampionship, by 6 —

3. Following this match a protest was submitted by Hui Mai on the groun'ds that the Otaki team had arrived nearly an hour late ..nd in consequence many of the original players had left and a scrateh team had had to be mustered. The protest to the Horowhenua Rugby Union faile'd and it was .then lodged by Hui Mai with the New Zealand Rugby Union, which ruled that the game be replayed. When the secretary of the Horowhenua Union, Mr. J. E. Fullarton was approached today he stated that he La'd not yet received a repoft from the referee on Saturday's game at * Manakau, and could, therefore, not comment. The management committee holds its final meeting for the year on Tuesday mght when the position brough't about by the referee's action will doubtless be discussed. Had Hui Mai won the game on Saturday, it would have placed the team in the lead in the ehampionship. At present Wanderers and Hui Mai share the honours.