"The standard you walk past is the standard you accept. And we don't accept this."
The Horowhenua-Kapiti rugby union is going to draw a line under bad behaviour at club rugby matches.
If supporters and players cross the union's line in the sand, all club matches the next week will be canned.
Horowhenua-Kapiti CEO Corey Kennett explained the new policy to D'Arcy Waldegrave on Sportstalk.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Today's story around the Hotter for Neua Carpety rugby union
and their decision to hold all teams accountable if there's
trouble at mill on the sideline. Tired of referee abuse,
tired of that, they said, you know what, if it
happens again, and if it's severe enough, we're going to
shut down the whole senior club rugby the next weekend.
Wow to talk about that. We are now joined by
(00:35):
the chief executive of hot A for Neua Carpety, looking
forward to chatting to you. I tell you his name
is Corey Kennedy joins us now, good evening. Corey made
a bit of news with your idea or your line
in the sand around basically kicking the entire senior comp
(00:55):
to touch if there's any trouble on the sidelines, referee
abuse and the like as well. I'm presuming that this
has been welcomed with open arms by beaveryone concerned.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Isn't it funny Sometimes through a negative situation you get
some real positive outcomes. And the overwhelming positive out of
this is this is a whole of Rugby community approach.
So we've had one hundred percent unanimous support from all sectors,
all our member clubs, all our affiliated associations, the hcarefe
(01:26):
You Board, the HCARE, a few Rugby Committee, the Company
Rugby Referees Association, so everybody is operating under the same copappa.
We just we can't keep tolerating this crap.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
So what triggered it? What was there one that finally
pushed the domino?
Speaker 3 (01:44):
So we've had initiatives in place, and we've dealt out
some pretty hefty sanctions in the past and suspensions. But
two weeks ago or two weekends ago, we had a
referee that was struck in the foot with a piece
of field equipment and then later on there was a
threat that a referee would be stabbed.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
And you get that across your desk. I suppose your
reaction straight away would be and how's the referee like that? Wow?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
You know that these these good buggers, these volunteers, these
guys and girls give up their time, their time away
from their farno, some of them take days off work
so that this this whole community event can happen. We've
got We've got, We've got volunteers, refs that will give up,
that will officiate over three games, or leave home at
(02:35):
maybe nine am in the morning, come back at six
and the very reality, the very real reality, is they
might get abused at all three Now, some of these
are low level items of abuse and and and in
some ways they've become adapted being able to handle that.
But when you're saying crap like that, I'm going to
stab you or what ones in the past, good luck
(02:57):
getting home, that sort of bollocks, you've got to stand up.
And as we've said, for us, we operate under the
mantra that the standard you what passes the standard you accept,
and we don't accept this.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
When the referee came to you with that story, how
was he I'm presuming she quite shaken up or accepting
the fact that's me or what was their initial response.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
To this coin Yeah, you know what was really sad
to hear and the complaints is a statement from young
guys saying I've never felt so broken and never more
did I want to just take off my rest jersey,
throat on the ground and go home. And that's that's
a son, that's a husband, that's a father, and it's
(03:40):
just horrendous. Look, what we would say is all of
the provincial unions in New Zealand, they've been working hard
on this for a long time. We're not unique, and
in fact, when we look at some of the grotesque
events that have happened up and down the country, we're
far from the worst. But we've got to be prepared
to do something. Kiwis are so inherently obsessed with performance,
(04:00):
with winning that cup, that shield, that title. Well let's
smack them where it hurts. Let's say to them, if
you're going to continue to do this crap, that we're
going to come back at you, so that you stand
up and you listen, and your self police, you peer review,
and you say to each other when you hear someone
saying that that's not that's not good enough, we're not
going to accept that.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
So that situation was the trigger. But it's been getting
loaded for a long long time, hasn't it. And you
would have been carrying us for ages. And I'm presuming
from what you're saying before, Corey, that you've been talking
to other unions and they're not alone, but you've actually
finding gone you know what, here's my line in the
Sands so big for you guys. So where does the
(04:42):
point start when it comes to the possibility of stopping
club senior club rugby for an entire weekend. You've got
you've got levels of abuse. How do you actually start
that ball rolling?
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Yeah, you know, the first thing is having open, honest
and respectful communication with the Referees Association. So for us
incredibly thankful that they are complete on board. They themselves
release the statement that they're very thankful that they've been
involved in the whole process. So we liaised with them
(05:14):
around severity of abuse and so as we've said, if
we get this serious, the most serious replicated, we're also
undertaking and we have we always do a whole heap
of an issues to address the lower level abuse, so
that because we're not naive, we're not going to get
rid of it. You know, rugby is a game, it's itself.
(05:37):
It's just a mirror of society, and we've seen the
degrading of respect in society. And because they come to
a rugby we can't expect them to be completely different
in society. But we want to keep instilling and upholding
those values that set rugby apart. So we really aise
with the refs. We're in constant communication with them how
(06:00):
their people are, and then will assess situations on a
case by case base us, but being prepared to pull
the trigger as soon as we need to.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
So something occurs mid weekend, and does that affect the
following weekend or a weekend further or the current weekend
if you work that put that in place, what the
system is?
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Yeah, so we already have systems in place. Reveries already
have systems in place that a game can be stopped immediately,
and we've and and I can't remember the last time
that has happened, but it has happened. And so if
abuse is so horrendous and it's not controlled, then that
game can be stopped and called off immediately. So we've
had that.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
What about the whole round though, you're saying you just
call a whole round off and that doesn't affect that
people at the time. That's everybody. So that's the following weekend,
And what kind of steps have to go through in
order for you to rub a stamp there?
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Yeah, so it will be the following weekend for the
cancelation for all of rugby, and so for us, we
go through the steps once again. What makes it pleasing
in a way is we've got all of our member clubs,
Referees Association on board, so we're calling a meeting straight
after the weekend that has happened, and then the very
next round will be canceled and postponed and player another time.
(07:13):
And that weekend coming, you know, gives us an opportunity
for people to maybe just resonate with thinking about what
has happened. We recognize that, yes, there are going to
be some people that have done nothing wrong that have
been affected, but it's just great to see once again
that all of those people are behind this initiative.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
So we go through the.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Process with the Reef's Association, the xc few Board, the
member clubs and then we'll implement it once again. Though
does our strong hope is that this doesn't need to happen,
and we've already had some amazing messages of support and
the reach has been far cross codes. Fantastic email from
Football this morning about how they're going to utilize some
(07:54):
of the initiatives. We've talked about some of the messaging
messaging overnight from referees associations in the UK applauding the
stance and offering support for for our referees, great support
from other pus from ns ARE. Look, you know it's
one of those things that if we have to pull
the trigger, we will.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
You mentioned inns are. How complicit have they been in
this all? How much of you involved them in this process?
Speaker 3 (08:21):
I do have to oh, look, they've been great. Does
you know they're always offering support as soon as we've
had the issue. Rugby's a relatively small community and they
were quick to offer support and guidance. So the JR
have been really good in this space, as have other
pus offering support and ideas sharing as well around positive
(08:45):
initiatives happening after after the weekend of the worst abuse.
So we have we get support around inst are documenting
what has happened, their help around trying to assist all
the referees, but education and being able to work with
(09:06):
these p people that feel that they have some some right,
some justification to come along and deliver this diatribe. This
victoriole of of bs AT Volunteers, that's that's the biggest one.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
And you did a lot of consultation. Is it likely
that more clubs, more associations more unions are going to
climb into what you're doing and take a leaf out
of your book.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
We hope. So when you when you get people that
are coming along, they're obviously keen to come along and
to watch the event. Right, so when we say to them,
your actions are going to help to trigger an action
that means this event won't take place. You know, we
see we got member clubs that are all our member
clubs are doing fantastic work and already dealing with sideline
(09:53):
supporters not behaving as they should and not living up
to those virtues and their values that we talk about
in rugby. But we just got to understand that if
we have to keep working, we have to keep striving,
and pus other pus want to join on and replicate
what we're doing, we'd be more than happy to help.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
And Corey one last thing. There's always going to be
a segment of society clubs and the light that push
back something like this. Have you had any pushback at
all from anybody?
Speaker 1 (10:24):
No?
Speaker 3 (10:25):
No, no, I lookt Dar's My door is always open.
A lot of these people are cowards. They want to
yell from the shadows or from a keyboard they can
come and have a chat with me at any time.
But we've had nothing but positive support and it's just amazing.
Probably the only thing I would say is people saying
we need to go harder, which is which is great, right,
(10:47):
But are you going to do is think about if
this is your if this is your your wife, your son,
your son, your daughter copying this sort of abuse after
they're doing community service? Yeah, you going to stand by?
Are you going to do something? Are you going to
call that person out? Are you going to fade into
(11:07):
the shadows?
Speaker 1 (11:08):
You know?
Speaker 3 (11:08):
And we just need people to understand it's a whole
community approach and when we get that happening, I'm inherently
positive in my belief that that will help the situation.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
For more from Sports Talk, listen lived to us Talks.
There'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Today's story around the Hotter for Neua Carpety rugby union
and their decision to hold all teams accountable if there's
trouble at mill on the sideline. Tired of referee abuse,
tired of that, they said, you know what, if it
happens again, and if it's severe enough, we're going to
shut down the whole senior club rugby the next weekend.
Wow to talk about that. We are now joined by
(00:35):
the chief executive of hot A for Neua Carpety, looking
forward to chatting to you. I tell you his name
is Corey Kennedy joins us now, good evening. Corey made
a bit of news with your idea or your line
in the sand around basically kicking the entire senior comp
(00:55):
to touch if there's any trouble on the sidelines, referee
abuse and the like as well. I'm presuming that this
has been welcomed with open arms by beaveryone concerned.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Isn't it funny Sometimes through a negative situation you get
some real positive outcomes. And the overwhelming positive out of
this is this is a whole of Rugby community approach.
So we've had one hundred percent unanimous support from all sectors,
all our member clubs, all our affiliated associations, the hcarefe
(01:26):
You Board, the HCARE, a few Rugby Committee, the Company
Rugby Referees Association, so everybody is operating under the same copappa.
We just we can't keep tolerating this crap.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
So what triggered it? What was there one that finally
pushed the domino?
Speaker 3 (01:44):
So we've had initiatives in place, and we've dealt out
some pretty hefty sanctions in the past and suspensions. But
two weeks ago or two weekends ago, we had a
referee that was struck in the foot with a piece
of field equipment and then later on there was a
threat that a referee would be stabbed.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
And you get that across your desk. I suppose your
reaction straight away would be and how's the referee like that? Wow?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
You know that these these good buggers, these volunteers, these
guys and girls give up their time, their time away
from their farno, some of them take days off work
so that this this whole community event can happen. We've
got We've got, We've got volunteers, refs that will give up,
that will officiate over three games, or leave home at
(02:35):
maybe nine am in the morning, come back at six
and the very reality, the very real reality, is they
might get abused at all three Now, some of these
are low level items of abuse and and and in
some ways they've become adapted being able to handle that.
But when you're saying crap like that, I'm going to
stab you or what ones in the past, good luck
(02:57):
getting home, that sort of bollocks, you've got to stand up.
And as we've said, for us, we operate under the
mantra that the standard you what passes the standard you accept,
and we don't accept this.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
When the referee came to you with that story, how
was he I'm presuming she quite shaken up or accepting
the fact that's me or what was their initial response.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
To this coin Yeah, you know what was really sad
to hear and the complaints is a statement from young
guys saying I've never felt so broken and never more
did I want to just take off my rest jersey,
throat on the ground and go home. And that's that's
a son, that's a husband, that's a father, and it's
(03:40):
just horrendous. Look, what we would say is all of
the provincial unions in New Zealand, they've been working hard
on this for a long time. We're not unique, and
in fact, when we look at some of the grotesque
events that have happened up and down the country, we're
far from the worst. But we've got to be prepared
to do something. Kiwis are so inherently obsessed with performance,
(04:00):
with winning that cup, that shield, that title. Well let's
smack them where it hurts. Let's say to them, if
you're going to continue to do this crap, that we're
going to come back at you, so that you stand
up and you listen, and your self police, you peer review,
and you say to each other when you hear someone
saying that that's not that's not good enough, we're not
going to accept that.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
So that situation was the trigger. But it's been getting
loaded for a long long time, hasn't it. And you
would have been carrying us for ages. And I'm presuming
from what you're saying before, Corey, that you've been talking
to other unions and they're not alone, but you've actually
finding gone you know what, here's my line in the
Sands so big for you guys. So where does the
(04:42):
point start when it comes to the possibility of stopping
club senior club rugby for an entire weekend. You've got
you've got levels of abuse. How do you actually start
that ball rolling?
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Yeah, you know, the first thing is having open, honest
and respectful communication with the Referees Association. So for us
incredibly thankful that they are complete on board. They themselves
release the statement that they're very thankful that they've been
involved in the whole process. So we liaised with them
(05:14):
around severity of abuse and so as we've said, if
we get this serious, the most serious replicated, we're also
undertaking and we have we always do a whole heap
of an issues to address the lower level abuse, so
that because we're not naive, we're not going to get
rid of it. You know, rugby is a game, it's itself.
(05:37):
It's just a mirror of society, and we've seen the
degrading of respect in society. And because they come to
a rugby we can't expect them to be completely different
in society. But we want to keep instilling and upholding
those values that set rugby apart. So we really aise
with the refs. We're in constant communication with them how
(06:00):
their people are, and then will assess situations on a
case by case base us, but being prepared to pull
the trigger as soon as we need to.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
So something occurs mid weekend, and does that affect the
following weekend or a weekend further or the current weekend
if you work that put that in place, what the
system is?
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Yeah, so we already have systems in place. Reveries already
have systems in place that a game can be stopped immediately,
and we've and and I can't remember the last time
that has happened, but it has happened. And so if
abuse is so horrendous and it's not controlled, then that
game can be stopped and called off immediately. So we've
had that.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
What about the whole round though, you're saying you just
call a whole round off and that doesn't affect that
people at the time. That's everybody. So that's the following weekend,
And what kind of steps have to go through in
order for you to rub a stamp there?
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Yeah, so it will be the following weekend for the
cancelation for all of rugby, and so for us, we
go through the steps once again. What makes it pleasing
in a way is we've got all of our member clubs,
Referees Association on board, so we're calling a meeting straight
after the weekend that has happened, and then the very
next round will be canceled and postponed and player another time.
(07:13):
And that weekend coming, you know, gives us an opportunity
for people to maybe just resonate with thinking about what
has happened. We recognize that, yes, there are going to
be some people that have done nothing wrong that have
been affected, but it's just great to see once again
that all of those people are behind this initiative.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
So we go through the.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Process with the Reef's Association, the xc few Board, the
member clubs and then we'll implement it once again. Though
does our strong hope is that this doesn't need to happen,
and we've already had some amazing messages of support and
the reach has been far cross codes. Fantastic email from
Football this morning about how they're going to utilize some
(07:54):
of the initiatives. We've talked about some of the messaging
messaging overnight from referees associations in the UK applauding the
stance and offering support for for our referees, great support
from other pus from ns ARE. Look, you know it's
one of those things that if we have to pull
the trigger, we will.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
You mentioned inns are. How complicit have they been in
this all? How much of you involved them in this process?
Speaker 3 (08:21):
I do have to oh, look, they've been great. Does
you know they're always offering support as soon as we've
had the issue. Rugby's a relatively small community and they
were quick to offer support and guidance. So the JR
have been really good in this space, as have other
pus offering support and ideas sharing as well around positive
(08:45):
initiatives happening after after the weekend of the worst abuse.
So we have we get support around inst are documenting
what has happened, their help around trying to assist all
the referees, but education and being able to work with
(09:06):
these p people that feel that they have some some right,
some justification to come along and deliver this diatribe. This
victoriole of of bs AT Volunteers, that's that's the biggest one.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
And you did a lot of consultation. Is it likely
that more clubs, more associations more unions are going to
climb into what you're doing and take a leaf out
of your book.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
We hope. So when you when you get people that
are coming along, they're obviously keen to come along and
to watch the event. Right, so when we say to them,
your actions are going to help to trigger an action
that means this event won't take place. You know, we
see we got member clubs that are all our member
clubs are doing fantastic work and already dealing with sideline
(09:53):
supporters not behaving as they should and not living up
to those virtues and their values that we talk about
in rugby. But we just got to understand that if
we have to keep working, we have to keep striving,
and pus other pus want to join on and replicate
what we're doing, we'd be more than happy to help.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
And Corey one last thing. There's always going to be
a segment of society clubs and the light that push
back something like this. Have you had any pushback at
all from anybody?
Speaker 1 (10:24):
No?
Speaker 3 (10:25):
No, no, I lookt Dar's My door is always open.
A lot of these people are cowards. They want to
yell from the shadows or from a keyboard they can
come and have a chat with me at any time.
But we've had nothing but positive support and it's just amazing.
Probably the only thing I would say is people saying
we need to go harder, which is which is great, right,
(10:47):
But are you going to do is think about if
this is your if this is your your wife, your son,
your son, your daughter copying this sort of abuse after
they're doing community service? Yeah, you going to stand by?
Are you going to do something? Are you going to
call that person out? Are you going to fade into
(11:07):
the shadows?
Speaker 1 (11:08):
You know?
Speaker 3 (11:08):
And we just need people to understand it's a whole
community approach and when we get that happening, I'm inherently
positive in my belief that that will help the situation.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
For more from Sports Talk, listen lived to us Talks.
There'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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