Dighton-Rehoboth forfeits field hockey game against Somerset-Berkley to avoid facing male player

DIGHTON, Mass. (WLNE) — Dighton-Rehoboth High School’s field hockey team will forfeit two games this fall to avoid playing a boy on Somerset-Berkley’s team.

The decision comes almost a year after a Dighton-Rehoboth field hockey player was injured by a male player in a tournament game.

Superintendent Bill Runey recalled the incident as one of the most traumatic in his 37-year education career.

“Getting on that bus and seeing the terror in those girls’ eyes, it was gut-wrenching,” Runey said.

In light of the injury, the regional school committee passed a new policy in July, allowing traditionally single-sex teams to opt out of playing against teams rostering members of the opposite sex.

“It really shed a lot of light on the difference between 16, 17, and 18-year-old girls participating against girls versus participating against boys of the same age,” Runey said.

Somerset-Berkley Superintendent Jeff Schoonover released the following statement in response to Dighton-Rehoboth’s decision to forfeit:

“The Somerset Berkley Regional School District follows all MIAA regulations and school district policies for participation in interscholastic athletics. Somerset Berkley supports the rights of all students to access and participate in athletics for which they are eligible.”

Apponequet athletic director Jim Cabucio has been involved with the South Coast Conference for more than 30 years as a coach and athletic director.

Cabucio said boys have been playing field hockey in the league for decades, noting there are other significant player safety concerns to consider.

“Probably what’s impacted this more than anything is the rule changes in field hockey over the last few years,” Cabucio said. “There was a time where the ball and stick were not allowed to go very high. They are allowed to go higher [now].”

Another key change was the MIAA’s decision to lift a rule requiring player to wear protective goggles, according to Cabucio, who says longtime head coach Cindy Cuthbertson maintained Apponequet should continue to enforce the rule.

“She highly recommended that we keep the goggles,” Cabucio said. “She had coached when there was no goggles and she coached with goggles, and it was just a safer situation for our athletes.”

“There’s more injuries occurring now due to the rule change than a gender issue in our opinion,” he added.

Cuthbertson told ABC6 News she saw the male player for Somerset-Berkley recently in a scrimmage, and, while she says he was faster and stronger than most female players, she felt he would not pose more of a physical threat.

Regardless, Dighton-Rehoboth said it was not ready to subject it’s players to another injury by a male player.

“We’re not immune to the fact that injuries are going to happen in athletics,” Runey said. “But when males are given the opportunity to compete against females, the severity of the injury is what we’re concerned about.”