Girl told she can't play for 1st XV in school rugby tournament
An 11-year-old girl playing for her school's 1st XV rugby team has been told her team wouldn't get any points if she
takes took the field in an upcoming tournament.
Photo: Richard Revel
Five principals from schools around Hawke's Bay made the decision not to let Briar Hales from Havelock North
Intermediate play.
She has been told she should play for the girl's team - not the boys.
Ellery Wilson, a development officer for the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union, said the schools were welcome to make that call.
"I suppose it's just for the people that run that competition to have their own rules," he said.
"How they enforce them is, I suppose, up to those five principals."
Mr Wilson said girls and boys played together until they reached high school in New Zealand Rugby-sanctioned
competitions.
Because it was a school-run competition, the Union had no power to enforce its rules.
Havelock North Intermediate principal Julia Beaumont told RNZ : "Everyone at this school really supports women in rugby.
"We have had girls in our 1st XV for years and never had a problem, it's always been supported by the other schools we
play against.
"They've said this decision will be under review."
Briar's father, Dean, told Stuff she was "quite upset" when he told her of the decision.
"She asked me why, and I had to tell her someone thought girls shouldn't be in the team," he said.
"It goes against everything me and her mum have told her in the past."
Stuff reported Briar had pulled out of the team as a result of the decision.