KEY POINTS:
A teenager was told to remove his painted moko at a soccer game after the opposition complained about it being intimidating. Kerikeri High School student Levi Harris, 16, left the moko on after a kapa haka performance.
Referee Mike Stather confirmed last night that he had asked the Kerikeri Totalspan player to wash off the paint because two Kaikohe Spaziocasa rivals complained. "They said, 'Ref, is it allowed in the rules?' I asked him to take it off because there has to be one rule for all. You're either all allowed the face paint or you're all not."
Asked what would have happened if Levi's moko had been a tattoo, Mr Stather said he would have had to consult NZ Football. Levi said: "I just wanted to keep some of the spirit of my kapa haka group with me for the weekend."
