West coast rugby sanctioned by NZRU

Posted on Oct 15, 2010 in Rugby News

West Coast Rugby has been stripped of five competition points and fined $2,500 today following a hearing before a subcommittee of the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) Board in Wellington today.

The hearing was convened to investigate a complaint that West Coast had breached the NZRU Player Eligibility Regulations during their Lochore Cup and Heartland Championship match against Wairarapa-Bush in Masterton on Saturday 2 October. West Coast won the match 35 – 30.

The subcommittee heard that West Coast knowingly breached the Player Eligibility Regulations in fielding the ineligible player under another player’s name on the team sheet and the match report.

NZRU Player Eligibility Regulations are fundamental to the integrity of the competition. In the case of this deliberate breach, the monetary fine and loss of points were considered to be an appropriate penalty.

The panel consisted of subcommittee Chairman Peter Hobbs, NZRU General Manager of Professional Rugby Neil Sorensen, and Board member Ivan Haines.

West Coast Rugby Union was represented by their Chief Executive Mike Connors and legal counsel John Sproat.

The removal of the five competition points puts West Coast on nine points, dropping them from second to fourth place on the Lochore Cup table.

Heartland Championship fires up

Posted on Aug 25, 2010 in NZ, Rugby News, SANZAR

The pride of Heartland rugby will be on show with the Meads and Lochore Cups once again up for grabs when the 2010 Heartland Championship kicks off on Saturday.

Last year’s Meads Cup champions Wanganui will open their campaign at home against South Canterbury.

Current Lochore Cup holders North Otago will make the trip to Ruatoria to take on East Coast.

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