Lack of respect for franchise

OPINION: Old-timers might have read about the one-game suspension of Highlanders players Adam Thomson and Michael Hobbs with some dismay, writes Nathan Burdon in this week's Straight Up.

The pair have been stood down for tomorrow's game against the Bulls in Pretoria after failing to get back to the team hotel before curfew after the loss to the Stormers last weekend.

Most players from the amateur era will have a tale or two to tell about sneaking back into the team hotel on some away trip after over-indulging or perhaps taking a look at some of the local scenery.

These things, apparently, do not wash in the professional game.

We don't know exactly what the team's bedtime was supposed to be in Cape Town last Saturday night.

Highlanders chief executive Richard Reid said there were no extenuating circumstances – the pair were not busy being mugged or carjacked at the time. He also confirmed that a senior player had spoken to the group before they headed out on the town about the importance of following the rules.

The Highlanders are not alone in having had players misbehave in recent times, but they are one of the worst offenders.

That hints at a lack of respect for the franchise and the people who still follow it.

While that doesn't apply to all, or even most, of the players, it only takes a few to spoil the good will the Highlanders have found so hard to earn.

Breaking team curfew could merely be a case of bad time management, but at worst it suggests a lack of attention within a team that needs to work very hard to be competitive.

That it happened to two players who have been amongst the team's best performers this season makes it even more frustrating.

The Highlanders can't afford to not have everyone doing their very best. This latest incident suggests there are still players within the squad who are yet to realise that.

WE are blessed to have some superbly run sporting events happening in our area almost every weekend of the year. Many of them, like the Kepler Challenge and last week's New Zealand age-group national track cycling championships to name a couple, would not happen without the support of a small army of volunteers. I believe that should be recognised with an award for the best run local sporting event at our annual Southland Sports Awards. If you have any thoughts on that, let me know.

» Nathan Burdon has been the Southland Times sports editor since 2003 and has won numerous journalism awards, including provincial sports writer of the year.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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