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Mistakes, hey we all make them. They are a big part of
life and the bigger the mistake the more we usually learn. Be
it about right and wrong, the consequences of our actions or even
saying sorry.
No surprises then that some hard life lessons will be learned this
week by First XV players at Auckland Grammar and Kelston Boys High.
Some hot-headed mistakes turned Saturdays regional rugby semi-final
into an ugly scrap . Supporters waded in too,
escalating the on-field violence into a side line brawl, involving
more than 100 people.
Not a good look for rugby, the schools or adult supporters who
should have known better. To make matters worse, the whole ugly
incident was recorded on film and has been replayed on national
news bulletins and published in frame-by-frame detail in daily
newspapers. The behaviour has appalled the Prime Minister who
claimed, this kind of semi mass violence on a football field has no
place in New Zealand sport.
There is just no getting away from this very public mistake and the
consequences for some players will undoubtedly be serious.
Auckland Rugby Union Chief Executive Andy Dalton quickly stepped
in, labelling the fracas a disgrace and
ordering a Disciplinary Hearing to get to the
bottom of it. The difference between this disciplinary
hearing and others, which are held on a weekly basis, is that no
single player has been cited. Grammar and Kelston will have
to argue their versions of events before an experienced committee,
seasoned in dishing out punishments to players ranging from
Premiers to 12 year olds.
Penalties range from warnings and
player suspensions to an entire team being stood down. The
swiftness of the Disciplinary Hearing and the seriousness with
which the schools are treating it underscores the importance of
players being held accountable for their actions.
Serious stuff alright, for young men serious about their
rugby. What, though, are the consequences for adults who
waded into Saturdays brawl? Schools openly admit they can do
little about the behaviour of grown-ups who should know better.
There is a real irony to adults getting away with behaviour that
flies in the face of official attempts to stamp out on-field
violence, and Player Codes of Conduct espoused by schools.
One high school principal has this week urged parents to chill out
watching their kids play sport. Something many parents know is
easier said than done. But some parents must share the blame
for mistakes made and hard lessons learned by school boy rugby
players this week, regardless of penalties handed down from on
high.
