A file photo showing a mixed league game at St Peter’s School last year. Photo: Supplied.
Cambridge Netball Centre have rejected claims of netball bias and racism aimed at it from a team it kicked out of its premier mixed league last week.
Evolution Netball say its gold team has been “victimised, discouraged and discriminated against” all season.
Police were called to the St Peter’s School courts last week following an alleged assault which resulted in a Hautapu Hornets player sustaining a head injury.
“No charges have been laid at this stage and enquiries remain ongoing,” a police spokesperson said.
Centre president Kerry Rennie said an on court fight between Evolution Gold and Hautapu Hornets players towards the end of their match last Monday night was the last straw in a testing season.
The centre had no choice but to ban the Hamilton team from the competition for two seasons. Two team members have received individual bans for serious misconduct which included allegedly punching an opposition player, pursuing a player off court to continue the violence and ignoring officials’ instructions.
Rennie and fellow committee member Roha Kara spoke to The News at the centre’s Leamington courts on Monday and stood by its record of providing good, clean and fun tournaments for the town’s netball teams.
“We have worked extremely hard in the past two years to get the mixed competition up and running and have a zero tolerance policy on unsportsmanlike, dangerous behaviour on and off the court,” said Rennie.
Evolution Gold’s Jojo Riki, who was playing as goal shoot on the night, confirmed the club had banned its wing defence indefinitely following the game for her involvement in the fight.
“She’s been told actions have consequences.”
But it all came to a head because of the season-long umpire bias and name-calling, he said.
“It was a tough game; we were getting really frustrated with some of the calls.”
“She’s been told actions have consequences.”
The fight took place with less than two minutes to go and with Hautapu leading 57-32.
Riki said the Evolution team, which made its debut in the mixed premier league in April with a 29-47 loss to TVP Titans and only had one win all season, played in tournaments all around the North Island.
The club started 10 years ago and had a good reputation of playing hard but fair.
But once they came to Cambridge, they experienced name calling and racist remarks.
“And the umpires, once you get on the wrong side of them, then that’s it.”
They had submitted several complaints during the season, he said.
Rennie said the first complaint came in May. The committee was unable to verify it, but all teams were reminded about correct protocols, procedures and etiquette during the competition.
Following more complaints, the centre contacted Netball Waikato Bay of Plenty for independent advice. Officials watched umpires and players on two nights and found nothing untoward.
Meanwhile other clubs lodged complaints about Evolution Gold, which included arguing with bench officials, speaking rudely to coaches and committee members and questioning the umpires’ calls.
The centre issued Evolution Gold a final warning last month saying it would withdraw the team from the competition if there were any other incidents.
Rennie said Cambridge Netball Centre catered for 1000 players over a 15-week season.
There had been no major complaints in any other competitions other than the mixed league, said Rennie.
