Players' weighty excuse comes unstuck

By WYNNE GRAY

Three North Harbour players have admitted faking a gym accident to conceal details about how New Zealand A star Rua Tipoki broke both his hands, putting him out of North Harbour's NPC team.

Tipoki injured himself punching an opponent in a festival rugby tournament.

But he and fellow-players Matua Parkinson and Rico Gear concocted a tale about a gym accident with a 20kg weight.

Senior Harbour officials accepted the story, but yesterday Parkinson told chief executive Doug Rollerson the real story.

Furious All Black and North Harbour doctor John Mayhew last night threatened to sever his 15-year association with Harbour unless the union strongly disciplined the players.

"I am devastated. I have been lied to by senior players and unless there is some strong action, I want no further association with the union," he said.

After being told on Monday morning that there had been an accident at the gym, Dr Mayhew saw Tipoki and was shown x-rays revealing breaks in the midfielder's hands.

"I saw him, heard his story and had no reason to play detective about it," Dr Mayhew said.

Yesterday afternoon Parkinson came clean and told Rollerson that he, Gear and Tipoki - all New Zealand A selections - had hatched the gym accident story because they were embarrassed about the way Tipoki had been injured at the rugby series on Sunday in Opotiki.

Apparently during a game at Opotiki, the 26-year-old Tipoki became annoyed about some rough treatment on his midfield partner Gear, and punched the tackler, breaking bones in both hands.

The three all played for North Harbour in last Friday's upset 20-9 win against Canterbury, and had been given permission to be at the Opotiki games instead of at a team dinner.

The Opotiki matches were part of a television series, in which Parkinson, Gear and Tipoki were involved, to promote Maori lifestyles and sport.

Rollerson spent much of yesterday afternoon in discussion with coach Wayne Shelford, his assistant, Allan Pollock, the three players, Rugby Union chief David Rutherford and lawyer Steve Cottrell.

He said the players would be disciplined by Harbour management and under the team's code of conduct. He would not specify the punishment, but said it would not involve a ban.

"The boys told us a bit of bullshit," Rollerson said. "It was very plausible and we believed it."

On Monday morning as the Harbour squad assembled for their regular gym session, Tipoki and Parkinson warmed up by themselves in a separate area.

It was then, according to the original bogus account, that Parkinson accidentally dropped a 20kg weight on the back of Tipoki's hands.

Tipoki has had plates and pins inserted in both hands, and will miss the rest of the season.