KEY POINTS:
Whangaruru side will have to meet strict criteria to rejoin competition after brawl last month
A senior rugby team banned from Whangarei competition until 2009 for an on-field brawl may be allowed to rejoin the competition next season.
But the Whangaruru side's re-entry to Whangarei's southern districts division
two contest is subject to strict criteria being met before the next season.
The team remains banned for the rest of this season for referee abuse during a game against Whangarei Old Boys at Oakura, northeast of Whangarei, on June 16.
But the ban for this season is largely academic because the division two competition has already finished, apart from a rain-cancelled game to be played this weekend and one promotion-relegation match.
A three-member Northland Rugby Union appeal authority upheld the charge of referee abuse when it met on Tuesday night to hear Whangaruru's appeal against its ban.
The ban was imposed by a subcommittee of the Whangarei and Districts Rugby sub-union last month after the violent incident at Oakura which began when Old Boys scored a try 30 minutes into the game.
Players and witnesses told police a brawl began when Whangaruru players attacked several Old Boys men, allegedly kicking them as they lay on the ground.
The referee, said to have been verbally abused and threatened by two Whangaruru players, called the game off and the Old Boys team drove home to Whangarei.
Whangaruru appealed to the Northland Rugby Union's appeal authority against the subcommittee's decision.
NRU chief executive Rob Malone, who was on the appeal panel, said the incident was treated in isolation and did not take into account other issues involving Whangaruru, such as unregistered players.
Submissions at the hearing were made by Whangaruru and Old Boys representatives, and the referee.
The charge of referee abuse was upheld but the ban for next season was suspended.
Mr Malone said the suspension was subject to strict criteria being adhered to by Whangaruru "relating to club protocols, spectator behaviour and its ability and willingness to adhere to the Northland-wide code of ethics".
The union is to develop a list of "strict non-negotiables" which will be presented to the Whangaruru club, and the NRU would have "a very clear indication" by November whether Whangaruru was likely to be allowed to play again next season, he said.
A regular monitoring process would be set up to ensure protocols were upheld and maintained during the season.
These would involve issues such as crowd behaviour, roping off areas and respecting referees.
"We'll be monitoring that. One slip-up and they'll be out," Mr Malone said.
Old Boys senior coach Colin Shirley, whose club had written to the NRU after the incident saying it would not play Whangaruru again unless it made radical changes, said yesterday that Old Boys might not be in the same contest next year anyway, depending on the order teams finish in the competition.
"Referees shouldn't be abused or threatened and players can't be allowed to get away with it.
"If they [the union] are trying to stamp this sort of thing out, that's fine. But Whangaruru have to realise they've cooked their own goose this time."
In a separate hearing, two Whangaruru players were stood down for lengthy periods for abusing the referee after the same game.
Captain Leland Hetaraka was banned from playing until next May 1, and David Davis was banned until May 1, 2009.
Whangaruru club chairman Dave Scott said last night his club was working with the Northland Rugby Union to meet the required criteria.
