Red card for star for being a girl

By JO-MARIE BROWN

Tylar Papuni can run as fast, kick as far and tackle as hard as any boy, but when it comes to a Bay of Plenty junior rugby tournament being a girl just isn't good enough.

The 12-year-old won selection to play for Opotiki in a regional tournament which begins in Murupara today. Instead she will be watching from the sidelines because organisers insist only boys are eligible to participate.

"I was a bit brassed off," the youngster said yesterday. "I'm pretty sad. I want to play but I'm not allowed."

Black Fern Exia Shelford, who was also Tylar's assistant coach, said the decision was discriminatory and unfair as her star hooker was quite capable of playing rugby alongside the 21 male squad members.

"They all look up to her because she's been playing with that age group since she was five. They all treat her like she's just another guy," Miss Shelford said.

Tylar, who was rated the second best forward in her team, had continued to attend every training session despite knowing she was ineligible and her coaches intend to push for a rule change.

"If Tylar can't play, then Tylar can't play. But maybe next year somebody else will be able to," Miss Shelford said.

Bay of Plenty Primary School Rugby Union president Graeme Gandy said the Tai Mitchell tournament had been running since 1938 and weight, age and gender restrictions had always been in place. The union's constitution stated it was a schoolboy rugby tournament and no official attempt had ever been made to change the rules.

"The ball's in the court of the various primary unions and if they wish to change the constitution in any way then they need to get organised and go through the correct procedures," Mr Gandy said.

The tournament organisers had nothing against girls playing rugby but wished to concentrate on the 220 boys who would attend instead of contemplating rule changes which must be done at annual general meetings, he said.

The Human Rights Act 1993 allowed for single-sex events once children reached the age of 12 because physical strength changes when puberty begins. The NZRFU has no national guidelines on how long girls should continue to play mixed rugby.

Yesterday Tylar's mother, Terry Papuni, said her daughter was very disappointed by the ruling but was unlikely to be put off the sport.