DURHAM are to raise the issue of behaviour on and off the rugby field at a county committee meeting next week.

The move follows the abandonment of the game between West Hartlepool TDSOB and Gateshead two weeks ago, when referee Michael Hodgson was pushed in the face and suffered abuse.

TDSOB player Chris Ward was banned for life by the club, and the county disciplinary committee confirmed on Monday night that he would have no right of appeal for two years. They also suspended Ashley Parker and Nick Corrigan for eight weeks.

The following Saturday West Hartlepool lock Andrew Davies was sent off for the second successive week at Darlington, and there have been rumours of referees not wishing to officiate in matches involving Hartlepool clubs. Hodgson is not among them as county secretary Chris McLoughlin pointed out: "He said he enjoys coming to TDSOB and hopes this incident will not spoil things in the future. One club has been the subject of complaints from the Northumberland Referees' Society, but we have spoken to the club and are monitoring the situation there.

"That was what prompted the special item on the agenda at next Tuesday's committee meeting. We want to talk to clubs about abuse and about conduct in general on the field and among spectators.

"We are not too worried about it. We just had one of those strange weeks which can happen at any time and all the clubs involved have attended to the problems internally. We have to remind ourselves what the principles and values of the game are. We get good support from all the clubs, but these things have to be revisited."

McLoughlin feels there may be a problem with coaches encouraging their charges to play to the limits of the laws, and wants them to attend the invitation evenings organised by the Referees' Society.

"We have a positive drive all the time to recruit referees, but they won't stay in the game if they are being abused," he added.