In total, there were 11 red cards and one sighting shown throughout school and club rugby matches in the Bay of Plenty Rugby region. All cases are heard by the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union's Disciplinary Committee, made up of community-based volunteers, with a vast and extensive rugby pedigree. Community rugby manager Pat Rae, who has worked at Bay of Plenty Rugby since 2015, said he could not remember a ban as long as 52-weeks being handed out. Meanwhile, the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union is trialling a new way of dealing with disciplinary matters in the junior and secondary school space. "We have gained New Zealand Rugby permission to borrow this process from the Canterbury Rugby Union.

Source: New Zealand Herald May 18, 2021 02:07 UTC