Rugby: Magpies new manager 'thrilled' to land role

Derek Martin

The Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby side's new manager comes uniquely equipped for the job, even if it once looked as if his sports career was about to be mapped-out on the soccer field.

Derek Martin, a 43-year-old originally from Dunedin and about a year into life in Hawke's Bay as sports co-ordinator at Lindisfarne College in Hastings, was in 1987 a New Zealand Secondary Schools "football" representative. He was in 1995 also a New Zealand Universities cricket representative.

But when it comes to the great Kiwi game, he can call on the experience of 16 years' teaching and its almost 24/7 roles of managing groups of people, but specifically four years as coach of the Christ's College First XV in Christchurch, two with the First XV at Skinners School in England, a year as head of physical education at Bromsgrove International School in Thailand, and the job at Lindisfarne.

Toss in having taught with Magpies coach Craig Philpott in Christchurch, and the more obscure connection of having played club rugby at Pirates in Dunedin, the club link of Magpies co-coach Danny Lee during his Lee's days as a southern man.

This week, Martin emerged from a ruck of what Hawke's Bay union chief executive officer Mike Bishop called the "standout" among seven "really high quality candidates" who were interviewed for the job.

The appointment, to replace Neil Weber, who has moved to Tauranga in his career in logging shipment management, was announced yesterday, with already some expectation in the air, after the Magpies were confirmed as prospective challengers for the Ranfurly Shield.

Counties Manukau have allocated the Magpies challenge No2 on August 30, seven days after Otago also venture to Pukekohe with dreams of what at this stage is a near repeat of the 2013 programme, when the southerners won the shield against Waikato and held it for just nine days, before losing it to the Magpies, who waved it goodbye after less than a week.

Martin, wife Amanda and their two children were recent arrivals in Hawke's Bay at the time the ITM Cup morphed into its shield drama.

They saw a euphoric first week in September culminate in being at the packed McLean Park for Hawke's Bay's first shield defence in 44 years, helping somewhat in developing the family's love affair with Hawke's Bay.

"I'm thrilled to be appointed and can't wait to get stuck into what I know will be an exciting and challenging role," Martin said in the union's media release. "The 2014 ITM Cup looms as a really exciting one for the Magpies and it will be a privilege to be involved directly."

He spent yesterday with his school team at the East Coast North Island secondary schools track and field championships, where he told Hawke's Bay Today that in some ways the school role and the new role he'll mix with it are similar.

He has been involved in two school tours of South Africa, and the regular arrangements for school teams at national championships and other events, in several codes.

He has also done coaching school at the International academy in Palmerston North, and, noting one or two other school teachers have had successful rugby coaching careers, does have some eyes on what he may do in the future.

"We'll see how it goes," he said.