Union looks ahead to L2

BREAKING AWAY: OBM openside flanker Adrian Wyrill, Poverty Bay player of the year for 2019, makes a break in a game against Ngatapa last season. Club rugby will be the players' focus this year, with the Heartland Championship and representative programme cancelled because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union is eyeing Level 2 for a start to training and Level 1 for a return to competitive play.Picture by Paul Rickard

THEY'VE gone 130 years without a break.

And as soon as New Zealand reaches Alert Level 2, Poverty Bay rugby will once more kick into gear under NZ Rugby Covid-19 guidelines.

Level 2 — which could in theory be two weeks away but is more likely at least three weeks off — allows team and group training, although players would even then have to keep the one-metre personal “bubble” during sessions. Level 1 will see a return to full contact team and group training, plus competition and festival rugby.

The cancellation of this year's Heartland Championship and representative programmes has reduced the financial impact of the lockdown on the Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union (PBRFU). In addition, the union applied for and received the government wage subsidy for all six staff, thus avoiding any job losses.

“We've taken the opportunity to reinvent ourselves and adapt to a new way of working,” Poverty Bay chief executive officer Josh Willoughby said.

“Our team's done a fantastic job producing content for social media channels and connecting with our community using tools such as Zoom.

“It's been great to see the level of engagement as we try to deliver educational, entertaining content.

“Where the window presents itself to play rugby this year, we want our clubs to take advantage of it. Beyond that, if an opportunity to play provincial rugby becomes available at the end of the season, we'd like to play Ngati Porou East Coast and are talking through possible scenarios.”

Before the lockdown, 54 coaches, managers and referees attended RugbySmart courses run by PBRFU community rugby manager Ray Noble, Heartland head coach Tom Cairns, player development manager Kahu Tamatea and coach and referee development manager Miah Nikora.

Since the lockdown, Nikora has been pleased to see the rugby community take advantage of online development opportunities. Poverty Bay Rugby's web-site lists and breaks down content for both coaches and referees.

“We've networked with the coaches weekly,” Nikora said.

They had seen presentations on game shape and phase play that included analysis of what the Poverty Bay Heartland team did in 2019, he said.

“It's just been about trying to stay connected, even though for some who've got jobs and families to think about, rugby might be the last thing on their minds.”

Willoughby said Poverty Bay rugby received incredible support from local sponsors and entities such as the New Zealand Community Trust.

“We appreciate that these are difficult times and offer our sponsors our support, rather than ask them for support,” he said.

“We've got the team and the community to bounce back from this.”