Fenton Park under-11 rugby stopped for plane, cow and jandal — ref calls it "standard conditions"
The cow got further up the field than the visiting backline did.
An under-11 rugby match at Fenton Park was stopped three times on Saturday morning. Once for a plane, once for a cow, once for a jandal. The referee later described all three as "standard Rotorua conditions".
The game was against a team up from Hamilton. Eleven minutes in, a turboprop came over the ground low enough that the ref stopped play "just in case". Home coach Whetu Morrison said it was the first time all season the ref had watched anything above knee height. "Kids were fine. He was the one who ducked."
The cow turned up at the twenty-minute mark from the direction of the car park. It stood on the 22 for four minutes and left without touching the ball. Nobody has claimed it. Tama Rewiti, whose brother coaches the under-13s, said he'd assumed the smell was the usual. "It's Rotorua, bro. You don't go looking for the source. Then it's got a face and it's looking at your kid."
The jandal belonged to a Hamilton mum. She lost it hauling her toddler out of the in-goal area. Three separate witnesses said she "carried on like a pork chop" until the home halfback found it where the cow had been standing. Play was held a further six minutes while it was returned and, for no reason anyone could give, inspected by the touch judge.
Fenton Park lost 15–10 after a late try was ruled out for a forward pass. Four dads independently described the pass as "fucking backwards". The referee, a 16-year-old doing it for volunteer hours, said he "stood by the plane call" and would not discuss the pass. Asked about Oceania Rugby saying this week there's no money to bring the Sevens to Rotorua, Morrison said that was probably for the best. "They'd never have coped with the livestock."
The cow was back on the 22 on Sunday morning. The jandal was not.
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Reader Letters
★ Garry (Halswell)
Typical Rotorua madness, mate. I reckon they'd stop for anything. Planes, trains, bloody UFOs next. Honestly, it's a wonder they got any play at all. Back in my day, the only thing flying was the occasional rogue seagull down at the park. Standards, I tell ya.
★ Margaret_F
Ah, the youth today just haven’t experienced real interruptions. In our day, Gerald and I had cows at almost every game. He would always say, "just play around them, love." It built character and resilience. It’s interesting how things change, or rather how they don’t! Honestly, good on that ref for standing up to the nonsense!
★ BarryBishopdale
Who lets a cow wander on a field? Where is the council? Disgusting lack of oversight if you ask me. This wouldn’t have happened if we didn’t have these bloody distractions. Also, what are Aussies doing here? I bet it’s something to do with them.
TeRangi54
mate you act like cows don't escape every day
★ JoannePetone
Honestly, those Hamilton parents need to chill. It’s just a jandal, not a bloody crime scene. But fair enough, I suppose when you bring the whole family down to Rotorua, you've got to expect the unexpected, toddlers on the loose or not.
★ Trev_Hornby
Good kiwi fun, I reckon. Bit of action on the field and a bit off it. She'll be right, as long as no one's hurt. It's this kind of stuff that gives kids good stories to take home to mum, eh.
KiwiStu
Standard conditions indeed.
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