Who said drama and controversy were the domain only of professional sports with a lot at stake financially?
The opening round of the national women's hockey league has suggested there is no love lost between the Central Mysticks and the Southern Storm after the right to be considered the winner has been protested and appealed.
All this drama and this is only round one.
The lengths both teams went through to argue their case suggests this competition is taken very seriously and competition is tight.
A description of the game on Hockey New Zealand's website claims it was close all the way, with Southern scoring from a penalty corner in the 63rd minute and two minutes later Central levelling the score 1-1.
It was the last penalty corner, however, that has caused a storm in a mystical teacup.
It appears Central scored off a penalty corner, making the final score 2-1.
Sound like a cut-and-dried case of Central coming out on top? Think again.
Apparently, a technical error was made in the match because the ball had gone out after the final hooter and the corner should not have been played.
Southern coach Mark Stafford, therefore, did what most coaches would do for their team and appealed what seemed to be an unfair result.
A three-strong NHL appeals panel agreed with Stafford and the outcome of the game was changed to a draw.
Simple? It seems not.
Reviewing video evidence plus a fair and rigorous appeals process still didn't mean this was all over.
Not in this day and age when so much rests on a win or a loss with regards to sponsorship, community spirit and staying competitive during the season.
Central coach Russell Tillman countered Stafford's appeal with a higher appeal to Hockey New Zealand, who decided to reinstate the original decision based on the error being considered a human, rather than a technical, one.
In other words, the umpire's decision on the day is final, even if it is wrong.
Followers of the oval-ball games would be familiar with decisions of game officials being dubious, even when the third umpire gets it wrong, despite video evidence to the contrary.
It's easy to see why Southern coach Stafford is pulling out the "unethical and dishonest" card with regards to the outcome, but life itself is unfair and dishonest at times, so it is no surprise that sport is also unfair.
Has Tillman been dishonest in appealing the appeal? I wouldn't say so.
In today's sporting contexts there are very few occasions where fair play is upheld in the truest sense of the word.
No-one walks without being told to, no-one puts their hand up and says, "Sorry guys, I didn't score that try" any more, and we fob off any responsibility with regards to ethical decisions on to match officials, technology and appeal boards every opportunity we get.
How many times are coaches heard telling their athletes to bend the rules and play to the whistle? In this case, Central Mysticks did play to the whistle.
Unfortunately for the Southern Storm, the whistle didn't blow when it should have and they've come away with a loss.
Never mind. Build a bridge and get over it and let out your frustrations in the next round on the next opponent.
