For the second year in a row there will be no Tasman Tanning Premier consolation game on Wanganui rugby club finals day, as both teams from last Saturday's controversial semifinal were yesterday disqualified after fielding illegal players.
Confusion had already reigned at the Ratana Paa when the consolation playoff between Harvey Round Motors Ratana and Utiku Old Boys was deadlocked 32-32 at fulltime.
"The referee [Noah Viliamu in the draw] did not play extra time, as required in the WRFU rules, and he awarded the game to Ratana who had finished ahead of Utiku after two qualifying rounds," said club development officer JB Phillips.
Post-match, the WRFU Operations Committee declared Utiku the winners on a 5-4 try count, which triggered a sequence of events where both teams protested and the winner was changed.
Phillips said Ratana complained that Utiku fielded unregistered players from the Feilding club, which Utiku admitted, and their victory was overturned.