TOP STORY: Bay sports leader banned from rugby

SHANE HURNDELL
Sport Hawke's Bay trustee and regional director for Te Puni Kokiri, Roger Aranui, has been banned from playing rugby until May next year.
A Maraenui senior fours player, Mr Aranui received the ban at a recent Hawke's Bay Rugby Football Union judicial hearing after being found guilty of verbally abusing referee James Kendrick in a May 19 match between his side and hosts Napier Technical at Whitmore Park.
In addition to the playing ban, Mr Aranui, who was sent off during the match, is suspended from any coaching or administration role in rugby until May 19 next year.
The hearing was told Mr Kendrick called off the match three minutes early because there was constant verbal abuse. Before he blew fulltime there were three tackle incidents in which he considered malice and potential danger were involved. He also claimed that after the match Mr Aranui had called him a racist.
Mr Aranui stated at the hearing he believed the referee's report was "damaging and emotive" with the use of words such as "disruptive" and "abusive". He said he was surprised by his sending-off as he had no warning of such potential action by Mr Kendrick.
A former Hawke's Bay B team captain, Mr Aranui denied verbally abusing Mr Kendrick and said he had merely questioned the referee for clarification of decisions at various times, as did other players from both teams who weren't punished. He also denied swearing at Mr Kendrick but said he may have sworn during the match.
He also denied calling the referee a racist but said he had questioned him on whether referees in general had an issue with Mr Aranui personally or whether there was some racism issue within the Hawke's Bay Rugby Referees' Association or the union.
Today Mr Aranui said he was considering taking legal action against the union. He believed the judicial hearing was carried out in "an unfair and unjust manner".
"I'm challenging the integrity of the process. I was told by the referee I was sent off for talking and then the matter becomes a major issue," he added.
Meanwhile in another recent union judicial hearing, the Tamatea and Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports division three teams each received a $500 suspended fine after their June 2 game at Bill Mathewson Park, Hastings, controlled by referee Haden Powell, was called off 12 minutes early.
Mr Powell told the hearing he believed the game was too unsafe to continue. A series of dangerous tackles had led to a sinbinning and the sending off of another player.
Following those actions there was another dangerous tackle and at that point he had decided to blow fulltime.
Should either team be involved in an incident of a similar nature they will be required to pay the $500 fine.