Hunt sees positives but rivals look tough

Hamish Bidwell
Richard Hunt says he is feeling increasingly bullish about Hawke's Bay's chances of gaining admission to the 2006 NPC premier division.
The Hawke's Bay Rugby Union (HBRU) chairman said while other unions are putting together formidable bids, events such as last Friday's Hurricanes-Blues match at Nelson Park convince him people in the province are rallying behind the cause.
The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) has said that the new competition will consist of a maximum of 12 teams, and with at least 14 in the mix, public support had been seen as a key ingredient behind a successful Hawke's Bay bid.
With little over a month to go before applications close, Hunt said he is delighted with the public response.
"Yeah, I really think that things are gaining momentum and that people are getting excited and are well aware of what we're trying to do," he said.
"I think they've realised that it's not just about five or 10 blokes at the HBRU, but it's about having everyone in the clubs and the community on board. I think the NZRU have inadvertently awoken the provinces and really got people fired up about rugby.
"I'm especially buoyed by the fact we had damn near 10,000 people at the Hurricanes game the other night. The last time we had them (the Hurricanes) here, we got about half that.
"The other thing was that 1400 people took time out to write down their name, address and phone number and pledge their support to Hawke's Bay rugby. That's magnificent."
With $2 million required by the HBRU by March 31, those pledges of support to Team Hawke's Bay at $256 per annum will be crucial to the bid's chances.
The councils in Manawatu have agreed to underwrite several hundred thousand dollars towards their union's bid, while he believes a Palmerston North radio telethon raised $600,000.
Aside from Manawatu, which he said has ploughed "$20 million into their stadium", Hawke's Bay is in direct competition with the likes of a Nelson/Marlborough bid, Northland, Southland, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki and Counties Manukau.
While Hawke's Bay scores well in terms of stadia, playing history, numbers and financial resources, he said the others all have a lot going for them.
By being in the Crusaders Super 12 franchise,
Nelson/Marlborough seem to be a shoo-in, despite a current lack of suitable stadia. From 2006, NPC sides will be allowed only 15 Super 12 players, and the Crusaders will need a team in their franchise to offload a lot of players.
Northland and Southland score well in terms of playing history and are established NPC first division unions, as is Taranaki. Bay of Plenty also look a sure bet, he said.
Counties Manukau score poorly on stadia, but may sign up to play at Ericsson Stadium.
That, with their vast population and player base, will make them a strong candidate, Hunt said.