Players ‘fizzing’ to get on the pitch

START IN SIGHT: YMP hooker Shayde Skudder takes the ball into contact in last season’s Poverty Bay senior club rugby semifinal against Waikohu. YMP beat Waikohu but lost to OBM in the final. Club rugby this season is a “fingers-crossed go” for June. File picture by Paul Rickard

RUGBY

Things are now in motion.

With the move to Alert Level 2 possible next week, Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union chief executive Josh Willoughby confirmed that a Zoom group call today with other chief executives had senior club rugby a fingers-crossed go for June.

“We’ve been planning for a return to training at Level 2 and with a four-week lead-in to games, players and teams will have a chance to get physically and mentally ready,” Willoughby said.

“We’re guided by New Zealand Rugby, and the Government decides exactly what is allowable, but we’re looking to start on June 13, if we’re at Level 2.”

The Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union will provide a further update on Monday and meet with secondary schools and junior club representatives next week.

Trevor Crosby, head coach of last year’s premier-grade champions Enterprise Cars OBM, is keen to get his crew going . . . safely.

“We’re looking forward to whatever competition is given to us,” he said.

“We’re amped up to play a positive and exciting brand of rugby. Safety and health protocols will need to be sorted out first, then we’ll sort out gear and revamp our training programmes. Then hopefully it’s all go.”

Lock Jacob Cook will again captain OBM.

High School Old Boys will be coached by Danny Boyle, Wade Owen and Wayne Ensor. They have Tamanui Hill as their captain.

“Everyone’s motivated,” Hill said.

“We want to get out there and put the work in. The boys are fizzing.”

Other coaches are Brian Leach and Colin Skudder for YMP, Steve Hickey for Ngatapa, Ra Broughton for Waikohu, and Willie Waitoa and Eru Wharerau for Pirates.