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Home / New Zealand

Investigation underway after ref felled

By Cherie Howie & Lynley Ward
Herald on Sunday·
14 Jun, 2015 12:45 AM3 mins to read

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An injured Otamatea Hawks player being airlifted to hospital. Photo / Northland Electricity Rescue Helicopter

An injured Otamatea Hawks player being airlifted to hospital. Photo / Northland Electricity Rescue Helicopter

Two young players flown to hospital, and Auckland referee attacked.

An 11-year-old rugby player will front a judiciary after a referee was knocked to the ground during an age-grade game in Auckland yesterday.

And in a day of carnage on our rugby fields, three young players were injured in a club gala day in Northland.

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In Auckland, officials are investigating after an incident involving a player and a referee controlling an under-12 match between Papatoetoe Rugby Football Club and Marist Eastern.

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It is understood the referee had yellow carded the young player before the incident. PRFC chairman Rick Steedman said the 11-year-old, his parents and team management would appear before the club's disciplinary committee on Tuesday.

The referee is preparing his own report to be tabled with the Auckland Rugby Union tomorrow.

Steedman said the match official appeared calm and didn't require medical assistance.

"This stuff shouldn't happen anywhere in the world and especially not here," he said.

A police spokesman said on Saturday night a complaint had not been lodged with them.
In Northland, an age grade match during a tournament hosted by the Maungaturoto Rugby Club, was temporarily halted in the first half after one of the club's players neck injuries and another received head injuries.

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They were flown by Northland Emergency Services' Trust rescue helicopter to Whangarei Base Hospital. A third player in an under-14 match, understood to be from Whangarei Boys' High School, was later taken to hospital by ambulance after a head knock.

Both players have seen been released from hospital.

The injuries come weeks before the first anniversary of the death of Otamatea Hawks' player Jordan Kemp. The 17-year-old died in hospital after he was knocked out during a match.

The 12-year-old who injured his neck is the son of Kyle Harris, one of the club's coaches.
Wellsford Rugby Football Club coach Alan Briely spoke with Harris after the onfield incident.

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"He said [his son] was going for a scan on his neck. He hasn't got much feeling below his nipple line. Hopefully he's okay."

Otamatea Hawks' president Kevin Robinson said the day's events had stirred memories of last year's tragedy.

The boys' teammates gave them a stirring haka as they were taken on to the rescue helicopter, alongside one of their mothers.

NZ Rugby Foundation chief executive Lisa Kingi-Bon described the boys' airlift to hospital as "precautionary, which is excellent".

She said it was important to remember that there were 150,000 registered rugby players in New Zealand who play on some 35 weekends a year.

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