Coroner blames Rugby Booze Culture for two deaths.

[Stuff NZ] The deaths of two young rugby players in a high speed crash could have been avoided if a culture of mixing drinking with sport was not so prevalent. Jack Henry Ballantyne and Tui Huruata Candish-Thompson died on May 11, 2012, after crashing into a power pole at high speed near Hinds, south of Ashburton. Ballantyne had been drinking alcohol and was driving about 185kmh when he lost control of the vehicle on the rural road.

Candish-Thompson was in the front passenger seat of the car when the crash happened. In findings released today, Coroner Richard McElrea said the deaths were a "tragedy that could have been avoided". "It was an example of the mixture of sport and alcohol." The two teenagers had visited the Hinds Tavern after rugby training on May 10 – something the team regularly did after practice.

 The coroner has clearly made the wrong conclusion. 

At least according to Steve Tew who consistently plugs the line there is no drinking culture in N.Z Rugby circles.   

Try telling the poor parents.

 

Police Custody is the best place for Pita Wilson

 

Four people, including ex Southland/North Harbour player Pita Wilson have been variously been charged with kidnap, serious violence and methamphetamine-related offending in Central Otago. 

Wilson made the Southland Stags in 2003 after playing for North Harbour. 

Also a former cage-fighter Wilson is a right bit of works. 

In 2006 Wilson was shot during a gang confrontation on The Gold Coast.  

Pita Wilson is a proud product of both Waitaki Boys and Otago Boys High School.

So good he made the New Zealand Secondary Schoolboys team.  

The coach of Wilsons local Wakatipu club premier team, Damian ‘Dippers’ Petre labelled Wilson a “huge asset”.  

I’m sure the police and non-rugby circles have other words to describe Pita Wilson.  




 

 

Dunedin Judge Confirms Rugby’s Privileged Position

Fracture a blokes jaw, punch one of his front teeth out, in a drunken piece of late night street thuggery. 

All because the bloke made a feeble remark about the rugby club jersey you were wearing.   

What would you expect the punishment to be in a case like this? 

An assault conviction would surely be the minimum?  

Unless of course you are an up and coming Otago rugby starlet like Riley McDowall and not say a clerk in a government department. 

As I am at pains to indicate there is a separate law in New Zealand for Rugby players and Judge Kevin Phillips has merely re-confirmed this by discharging this drunken punk without conviction.