Ex-All Black threatened with violence which results in club receiving sanction in New Zealand
Former All Blacks hooker Hika Elliot.
A New Zealand rugby club has been punished after former All Blacks hooker Hika Elliot was verbally and physically targeted during a match in South Canterbury’s Hamersley Cup competition.
Harlequins, who are set to play against fellow Timaru club Celtic in the tournament’s final on Saturday, appeared in front of a judiciary after their home encounter at Ashbury Park against Mackenzie last month.
Four players yellow carded
Following the match, which the hosts won 38-17 but had four players yellow carded, Mackenzie laid a complaint due to the behaviour of Harlequins players towards Elliot during the game.
That included threats of violence against the 38-year-old, who played in four Tests for the All Blacks between 2010 and 2015 and also represented the Maori All Blacks as well as the Chiefs and Hurricanes at Super Rugby level.
Elliot has been playing for Mackenzie after being cleared to play for the South Island-based club after moving to the area.
A decision was made by the judiciary at the end of last month over the incident which occurred during the Harlequins v Mackenzie match and it was found that Elliot was verbally abused as well as physically targeted “which was outside the spirit and laws [of] the game”.
The judiciary comprised of ex-Crown solicitor and World Rugby official Tim Gresson, former New Zealand Test referee Colin Hawke and Karyn Geary, a company director.
According to a Timaru Herald report, both clubs made submissions over the matter, with Harlequins suggesting it was at the “low end” of misconduct and that bad language was not uncommon.
Meanwhile, Mackenzie wanted one of Harlequins’ players to be suspended, the calling in of a behaviour bond enforced upon their opponents as well as competition points to be deducted against them and the forfeiture of home ground advantage for the semi or final.
The judiciary declined the first two requests saying it would not be unfair to activate a NZ$2000 fine as it would “unfairly impact on club members (who are volunteers) and not the players who were involved in some of the on-field abuse’’.
It added that any points deduction, to be meaningful – given Harlequins held a 13-point lead – would be disproportionate and “too severe”.
However, it agreed to the request for Harlequins to be prevented from playing its semi-final at home.
“We agree, given the level of verbal overall abuse directed at Hika generally by some persons attending the game, and some of the on-field players, it is not appropriate the club’s semi-final match is played at its home ground (Ashbury Park),” read a statement.
It instructed for Harlequins’ semi-final against Temuka to be played at a venue determined by the South Canterbury Rugby Union (SCRU), and said it understood the Union intended for the final to be played at a venue neutral to both finalists.
Harlequins’ semi-final was subsequently played at Geraldine’s Raukapuka Reserve last Saturday and they sealed a 22-13 victory over Temuka.
Harlequins hosting the final
However, Harlequins would host this weekend’s final against Celtic at Ashbury Park.
SCRU chief executive Tim Hyde-Smith said the initial plan was for the final to be played at Fraser Park but a lack of grass at that venue meant that the match was shifted.
Hyde-Smith said his union did consider for the match to be played at Pleasant Point, but traffic management and other logistical issues prevented that from happening.
He added that the SCRU had been in touch with Harlequins regarding the management of Saturday’s final and extra staffing measures were put in place.
Amongst those measures were the usage of four security guards and extra SCRU staff to assist match day officials. He said Celtic were also requested to provide additional matchday officials.
On Thursday, Gresson revealed that events after the Harlequins v Mackenzie match had led the judiciary to believe one of the alleged threats aimed at Elliot, the shouting of the Tongan term hoka, was made in respect, instead of a threat.
“After the match a number of Harlequins players had their photographs taken with Hika and he went back to the clubrooms, he told the Timaru Herald.
“We saw that as a mark of respect.”
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