Rugby Union Deals With Two Rough Play Cases

Chronicle (Levin), 2 June 1949, Page 4

Rugby Union Deals With Two Rough Play Cases

Two cases of rough play in foot-; baii games were dige.ussed by the Horowhenua Rugby Unipn's man-1 agement committee at a meeting on Tuesday night, A fourth grade player, Q. l^e-s Gonald, was stood down for one giaying Saturday, dating fropi the COmmiAee's decision, and the caseagainst a senior piayer, J. Taratoa, Waq dismissed. However, in accordance with the refqree's gom-P-amc rnat the game had been the roughest he had eyer controlled, it \yas decided .o wfite to the two clubs concerned, otaki and Paraparaumu, and point ' out * to "them fhat/the union looked with disfavour on rough play ap'4 that gny further such incidents would bring a eover&'Peuulty. In McDonalds case; the referee, Mr. R. Whelan, reported that in the game betweep Cp lege A ahd Wanr derers on May 21 he had oceasion to caution McDonald (Wanderersj ea.rly in the game, He had aftor-; wards ordered him off tlie field f oi striking out yfith his hgts. Appear~ ing before the meeting, McDonald denied that he had been punehing. Mr. a, y, Qhap'peii (ijprqwhenua Coiiege) pai'd that he had been much" judge at' ihe game and thc incident referred to by the referee had ooeuryed within Ave vatd^ qi him. The player had been using his fists, but jt did net §eem to be a display of bad temper but more a case of his idea of how to play rugby.

The referees considered that the offence was ratper aerious, §aid MtJ. A. Zuppicich (Referees' As'sociatiori). McDoriald was a fourth grade p ayer, he had been previously warned — in fact both teams had been .warned— and, cqupled With these factg, h,e had adopted s aedigerent attitude when ordered off. . After further discussion, a decision was made as stated ahove. In his repart dealing with the o'lher incident, the referee, Mr. D, McMillan, said that throughout the game both teams had display ed e tendency iqwards rough play. He had warned Taratoa previously. Taratoa claimed that it had "been a case of mistaken identity, ane chat it had nqt. been him who the referee had. warned. The referee had issued a g:nera" warning to both te'ams and apparent'y the player did not hear, oi did nqt want to hear, said .MrZuppicich. Mr. McMillan had ordered him off mainly in the hope that it would cairn the. game down It did not have this effect, however, and he ha.d thought that if bhe players wished to kill themselves .instead of trying to play football, then he wou'd let them go The union would experience a great deal of trquble from teams if the players were not going to play :ugby. During further discussion evidence wgs brought . to^.phow that Ihere was a p'ossibility of mistaken identity. It was, therefore, resolved to take no action against Taratoa, but* to issue the warning to the tw- fjubs concerned.