

FOUR weeks ago an ugly brawl at an Orange High School rugby league match triggered a week of accusations and complaints.
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And that was just between the principal and referee.
Four weeks later, it seems everyone’s kissed and made up.
They’re also very unwilling to talk about the wash-up from the incident where Orange High School principal Maree Angus ran onto the field to urge referee Brandon Vidler to call off the game after a brawl broke out with Bathurst High School players.
Mr Vidler swore at Ms Angus and told her to leave the field.
The incident prompted a week of debate about Ms Angus’ decision to enter the field.
The principal argued she had a duty of care to her students.
The referee argued he should have been left to bring the situation under control.
It led the Group 10 Referees’ Association to threaten to withdraw from officiating matches at the school until 2011.
However a recent meeting between Ms Angus, Mr Vidler, referees’ association president Mark Edwards and Orange schools education director Pam Ryan has neutralised the stand-off.
Both sides have agreed to consider a range of recommendations to help stop a similar situation from occurring.
They also agreed not to discuss the matter in public.
“We have met and come up with an agreement which we believe is a good basis for moving on from this,” Ms Ryan said yesterday.
Mr Edwards expressed similar sentiments on behalf of referees.
“We’ve met with the school, it’s been resolved and that’s really all we can say,” he said.
bevan.shields@ruralpress.com
WHAT THEY SAID AT THE TIME
MAREE ANGUS
“I’M appalled at the language and the carry on.
“All he was concerned about was berating me, which makes it hard when you try to talk to kids about sport and the importance of respecting referees when the referee doesn’t have any respect.”
BRANDON VIDLER
“SHOULD I have not sworn at her? Of course not.
“But should she have ran onto the field? No, because it is counterproductive to the quickest and easiest way of stopping brawls.”