Netball mum's apology morphs into strategic tips for umpire
She has accepted the two-week stand-down. She has not accepted the contact call.
Sports Sideline
Saturday club rugby, netball and cricket, where the ref is blind and the parents are worse. Every Sports Sideline yarn we have filed, newest first — 54 stories, none of them true.
Auckland import coach subs nephew on for fourth time in one half — Lansdowne under-11s now mostly nephew
Three other kids have been taken off to make room for Kaden. Kaden is eight and playing up a grade.
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.
Dog holds Feilding cricket match to ransom, declines to name price
The umpire called dead ball. The dads called the umpire a coward. The dog still has the ball.
Gladstone netball dad films umpire, 14, "for the tribunal" — there is no tribunal
The umpire is in Year 10. The tribunal is a bloke from Nelson with a phone.
Taupo under-11s rugby game delayed 22 minutes over orange roster dispute
Two mums, one dad, no oranges, and a ref who'd rather be at the luge.
Pakuranga hockey dad brings megaphone to under-12 game, uses it
Umpire abused via 15-watt speaker for a call she made forty seconds earlier.
Frankton under-11 BBQ evacuates Queenstown library, ref still blamed
Sausage smoke breached the fire panel at 10.47am. The linesman had already breached the code of conduct.
Royal commission finds Maketu clubrooms smell of 'deep heat and regret', recommends extractor fan
After 14 months and 47 witnesses, the Commission has delivered its findings. It cost $2.3 million.
Chartwell netball trophy engraved '2022' — nobody notices for four months
The trophy has been on a Rototuna mantelpiece since July. Per the plaque, it's from a season that ended before the winner had her braces off.
Casebrook netball mum ejected for coaching the ref from the sideline
Under-11 fixture paused eleven minutes after mother refused to leave without a written apology.
Christchurch coach tells Flaxmere under-12s mud-pit is "character building" — parents disagree
Coach reckons the ankle-deep sludge is a life lesson. One dad reckons it's a war crime.
Winton under-11s nearly riot after half-time oranges replaced with "budget bloody mandarins"
Club treasurer defends the swap. Sideline dads defend nothing of the sort.
Tawa hockey dad brings megaphone to under-11 game, refuses to put it down even after yellow card
He's from Auckland, he's got batteries, and he's not going anywhere.
Waiheke under-11s sausage sizzle triggers library alarm, evacuates six adults and a cat
The onions were on. The librarian was not having it. The ref blew full-time from the car park.
Spreydon under-11 rugby match stopped three times in twenty minutes — plane, cow, jandal
Ref blew the whistle for a Cessna. Then a heifer. Then a jandal. Parents lost the plot.
Mairehau under-11 cricket match abandoned after labradoodle refuses to leave pitch for 40 minutes
The dog fielded better than half the slip cordon, according to one dad.
Mount vic touch module adopts Mosgiel's sarcasm sin bin — first offender lasted four minutes
A public servant told the ref "oh mate, GREAT call" and was in the bin before the restart.
Bishopdale touch game called Off after dad's vape cloud swallows halfway line
Ref couldn't see the ball. Ref couldn't see the players. Ref could smell blue raspberry from thirty metres.
Atawhai under-11 sausage sizzle sets off library smoke alarm, evacuates book club
The onions were browning. So, briefly, was the non-fiction section.