Player suspended for a game he wasn't actually at

Jodi Ngarimu wrongly suspended for incident at game he was not at
July 20, 2015
Reporter: Peter Lamp

A Manawatu rugby player has been suspended from playing after an incident at a game he was not even at.

Club side Feilding's senior reserve player Jodi Ngarimu was incorrectly named, went right through the judicial process in his absence and was handed down almost a 2½-year suspension.

Not only was he not at the game - where a referee was allegedly abused - but he barely played this season because of injury.

Only when the Manawatu Rugby Union's judicial committee findings were publicised in media on Wednesday did the error come to light.

His name should never have been falsely put on the team sheet for the match against Massey Vets at Massey University on June 27.

The team's coach was also suspended for referee abuse.

"Nothing along the way alerted us that we were going down the wrong course," Feilding Rugby Club president Sean O'Connor said.

He said what appeared to start as a small lie to try to avoid suspension had snowballed, and Ngarimu knew nothing about it.

After Ngarimu's naming rang alarm bells, another Feilding senior reserve player was urged to make himself known at the Manawatu union office on Friday.

Manawatu rugby's community rugby manager Martin Brady had never dealt with anything like this.

It would now go back to the judicial committee and the other player, whom Brady had met, would probably have to attend.

Once it became apparent something serious was afoot, photo identification was sought and the referee verified that the player he sent off was not Ngarimu.

"In terms of clearing Jodi Ngarimu's name, the Manawatu Rugby Union is happy to confirm he is not the player at the centre of the referee abuse," Brady said.

His playing record would be amended to clear him.

"What is concerning is a player's name was written down on a scorecard and used as another player. It is a serious incident and we will investigate.

"If we can't rely on the validity of scorecards, the whole basis of competitions comes into question."

Brady would also be going back to the Feilding club to get to the bottom of it.

O'Connor said they were still investigating the incident.

"It's never a good look for that sort of behaviour from anyone from our club.

"We don't exactly know what we're dealing with. I believe we've been misled.

"As a rugby club we run with volunteers and there is a certain level of trust you have to have with people in positions of responsibility."

The team was suppoed to fill out the cards correctly.

Ngarimu was difficult to contact and had the club been able to speak to him before the judicial hearing, the deception would have come to light then.

The team's coach was also suspended for referee abuse.

"Nothing along the way alerted us that we were going down the wrong course," O'Connor said.

He said what appeared to start as a small lie to try to avoid suspension had snowballed, and Ngarimu knew nothing about it.

"From a club perspective we want to understand how this happened and so it won't happen again."

Once everything came out, the Manawatu union would also have to decide what punishment was in order.

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