Heads must roll for disastrous eligibility debacle

So far as the <i>Herald</i> can make out, Deklan Wynne, right, does not meet the criteria. Photo / Mark Mitchell

This is shaping as the biggest stuff up in New Zealand sport. What looked like the closest thing to a guaranteed place in the Olympics for our young footballers has turned into a farce involving an ineligible player.

Instead of playing Fiji in Papua New Guinea for a place in the Rio Olympics next year, the Oly Whites will be on the plane home empty handed and broken hearted, their Olympic dreams smashed. Everyone involved will be devastated - this is an agonising disappointment that will live with people for a long time, maybe forever.

It is the most dreadful day for New Zealand football, our sport.

To cut to the chase, there is no other way to deal with this than an independent inquiry. Unless there is a dramatic turnaround in the situation, heads - or a head - must roll.

Resignations, I would say, are inevitable.

New Zealand Football put out a statement saying it "refutes" the Oceania decision to throw the Oly Whites out of the qualifying final because they fielded the ineligible, South African-born Deklan Wynne.

The word refute requires evidence, something which is in short supply. So far as the Herald can make out, Wynne does not meet the criteria.

This is a disaster for the young men, and the three over-aged players, who would have gone to Rio. It is also a massive setback for football here, for its reputation and the long-term planning.

It would be a bad enough situation for one of the big footballing nations, but a country like New Zealand gets such few opportunities to promote the game and give players experience on such a big stage.

Among the things that need to be discovered are who was responsible for establishing eligibility, whether there was any suspicions around Wynne's ability to play, and if a punt was taken. If Vanuatu - who protested against Wynne - knew there might be a problem, surely NZF must also have known, or should have known.

At this point, I would release coach Anthony Hudson from any blame. Management is there to sort these issues out. But the heat will now go on CEO Andy Martin and other top figures such as high-performance director Fred de Jong.

Is there any hope? In 2002, the All Blacks appeared to be embarrassed after including former Aussie Sevens player Steve Devine on their tour to Europe.

NZR immediately stood its ground against claims Devine was ineligible, although their logic was a little confused.

A few days later, Devine was ruled eligible by the IRB. Unfortunately, the Wynne case looks cut and dried.