One of New Zealand's fastest-growing rugby league regions has been forced into a hasty backtrack over its premier club competition that is kicking off this weekend after the failure of one of its sides to meet strict entry criteria.
The combined Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Coastline (Waicoa Bays) club rugby league premiership is now an 11-team competition split into two pools after Rotorua side Central was ousted last week for failing to front up on three occasions with sufficient players in its 15s side in the Bay of Plenty district championship.
Central's elimination less than two weeks before the Waicoa Bays competition kicks off follows another Rotorua side, Ngongotaha, withdrawing its premier team soon after the season kicked off due to lack of numbers.
The Waicoa Bays competition was to have involved the top-four finishers from each of the Waikato and Bay of Plenty premierships competing in the regional premier grade, with the remaining clubs forming a second-tier division known as the Waicoa Bays championship. The two-tier competition was designed to eliminate mismatches in a zone that experienced a 56 per cent boost in player numbers in 2011.
But Marcus Reynolds, general manager of the NZRL's Upper Central Zone until he leaves on June 13 to begin working for Sport NZ in a senior advisory role, said they were left with little choice when Central's 15s side couldn't muster enough players three times.
"That meant they didn't meet the criteria set out to play in Waicoa Bays. Our 15s is one of the most important development grades and it's a real shame because we don't want to be exclusive, aiming to be as inclusive as possible, but it's got to be level playing field for everyone."
That left the proposed championship division with just three teams, making it untenable as a competition.
"It was left a bit light so we decided to run everyone together in two pools, that way allowing clubs to still play the majority of opposition from Waikato, but obviously not all teams. It was the fairest way of finding the best premier side in the zone. Clubs would have liked a bit more notice but Central was such a recent thing and most of them are only interested in playing and not the stuff that goes on behind the scenes."
Taniwharau, Pacific, Hamilton City Tigers, Taupo Phoenix and Hukanui will play in the Black pool while Otumoetai Eels, Ngaruawahia, Pikiao Warriors, Turangawaewae, Tauranga Whalers and Hamilton Hornets are in the Blue pool.
Whalers player/coach Paul Pou was enthusiastic about the change but sympathetic for Central's plight. "I had a call from (Central coach) Jason Walker trying to drum up some support and told him to appeal (their exclusion) based on the fact they had 10 players turn up for one of their 15s games. In league, 10 players constitutes a game, not a default, regardless of the score, but I guess they weren't successful."
Pou's team, Bay of Plenty district champions last year, have won just once this season and the new competition changed a lot for them, pitting the Whalers against Waikato's best sides instead of the expected lesser-lights.
"We've got the toughest draw and have lost 10 players from last season, but it gives our guys an opportunity to contest for the premier title. We want to test ourselves against the best so need to stand up and be counted. We can do it but we'll need more discipline than we've been showing and a change in attitude."
The new competition will feature five weeks of round-robin and five weeks of play-offs featuring the top five teams from each pool.
Club seedings (based on district round-robin placings):
Waikato: Taniwharau 1, Ngaruawahia 2, Hamilton City Tigers 3, Turangawaewae 4, Hukanui 5, Hamilton Hornets 6. Coastline: Otumoetai Eels 1, Tauranga Whalers 5. Bay of Plenty: Pacific 2, Pikiao 3, Taupo 4.
Waicoa Bays premier pools:
Black: Taniwharau, Pacific, Hamilton City Tigers, Taupo Phoenix, Hukanui. Blue: Otumoetai Eels, Ngaruawahia, Pikiao Warriors, Turangawaewae, Tauranga Whalers, Hamilton Hornets.
Week one games (Saturday):
Black pool: Hukanui v Taniwharau (Resthills Park), Pacific v Taupo (Memorial Park), Hamilton City Tigers bye. Blue pool: Pikiao v Tauranga Whalers (Puketawhero), Otumoetai Eels v Hamilton Hornets (Mitchell Park), Turangawaewae v Ngaruawahia (Paterson Park).