Schools crack down on rugby ruffians

Two Taranaki high schools are cracking down on their rugby player's bad behaviour after a spate of red cards, mass scuffles and angry outbursts from spectators during games.

Francis Douglas Memorial College and New Plymouth Boys' High School have joined forces to ensure there are no more "unsavoury incidents" at local matches this year.

Since the season began on April 24, referees have handed out six red cards and 14 yellow cards to teams in the secondary school grade. The cards covered a large selection of professional law infringements.

Those figures are similar to last year's, but FDMC Principal Martin Chamberlain said there had also been some mass scuffles, including one particularly bad fight where reserves had joined in from the sideline.

"There have also been cases where adult spectators are using inappropriate language or giving inappropriate encouragement to the players," Mr Chamberlain said.

"We were a little bit alarmed at the way things were going – the game should have nothing to do with people on the sideline."

New Plymouth Boys' principal Michael McMenamin said there had been an incident earlier in the year that particularly concerned the two schools so they decided to curb the problem before it escalated further.

"It's a joint effort. Our coach has talked to the 1st XV and they will set an example for the rest of the school," Mr McMenamin said.

"The message is to win with humility and lose with grace."

Mr Chamberlain gave the students a talk about the Parihaka peace movement and wrote a pointed message in the school's newsletter.

"The number of unsavoury incidents ... have been unsettling," he said.

"If such behaviour is left unchecked it builds in intensity each week so that players arrive at games expecting confrontation. We need to break that cycle."

Taranaki Rugby Football Union operations manager Derek Dingle said although the number of cards being handed out was concerning, the union believed the team managers and referees were doing a great job.

"From my point of view both schools are doing a responsible job by giving their teams those messages," Mr Dingle said.

In Auckland, where Mr Dingle was from, the situation was so bad for some schools they had to play at a neutral ground, without advertising the game to avoid confrontations, he said. "So hopefully it doesn't come to that here."

Fighting in school rugby games made the headlines last year after students from Auckland Grammar and Kelston Boys' High were suspended for an ugly on-field brawl.

- © Fairfax NZ News