Earthwork Solutions High School Old Boys are the defending premier champions, having beaten Waikohu in the 2017 competition final to win the Lee Bros Shield. It was their third year in a row as club champions.
Waikohu manager Frank Ngatoro posted on the Waikohu Sports Club Facebook page an email message from HSOB coach Jamie Hutana.
In it, Hutana offered “huge apologies” to Waikohu and their whanau for defaulting the game.
A lack of front-row forwards was the reason for his decision.
He had one specialist front-row forward available — skipper Jody Tuhaka.
The other two players he would have had to put in the front row were a flanker who was new to rugby, and an 18-year-old lock. Neither had played in the position for which they were being considered.
Hutana said in the message that he had no forward reserves. He would have had a squad of 19, with four backs on the bench.
“I have to look after my players’ welfare, and to put a person into that specialist position is not the right decision,” he said in the message.
He knew the decision would not be well received within the rugby community but he felt he had no other option, and it was “with great sadness” that he was writing to default the game.
“I will shoulder the responsibility for it all,” he said.
