A NEW Zealand cabinet minister this week castigated the "stuffy nosed" administrators of international rugby and called for his country's representatives on the International Rugby Board to be shot.
Maori Affairs Minister Tau Henare, whose portfolio has no sporting responsibility, issued a one-page press statement headed "Five Nations versus Tri Nations." He appeared to be commenting on a row over rugby refereeing which, it has been claimed, is taking the flair out of the Super 12 rugby competition played in the southern hemisphere. Henare said the free style of rugby which the public liked had been forsaken for a northern hemisphere-style game.
"We've gone backwards since then thanks to the International Rugby Board and our ineffectual representation on it, and our representatives on the board ought to be shot."
Complaining about referees was like shooting the messenger, he said. They were only enforcing the rules.
"Our game, the southern hemisphere game, is being dictated to by stuffy nosed, old-fashioned administrators in England who still believe the only thing you do with a rugby ball is kick it."
