We Kiwis love our sport, and amateur and community sports clubs
are the backbone of our communities. However, largely run by
volunteers, the rules and regulations of the game, and importantly
the enforcement of those rules and regulations, can be grossly
inconsistent between and within codes. This is perhaps best seen at
the grassroots level, and especially when disciplining players who
do not follow those rules. While the people who volunteer their
time are to be commended, there are downsides to volunteer led
processes. They tend to have an element of inconsistency in
outcomes, which can result in penalties that are inherently unfair
to the players concerned.
This issue was highlighted in a recent premier rugby league case
where a player appealed a decision of the Canterbury Rugby League
Incorporated Judicial Panel (the Panel) to suspend him for 13 years
from all levels of rugby league in Canterbury. For his part, the
player accepted he had pushed the referee, but
