Rugby: Matriarch calls it quits

RETIREMENT TIME: Adele Wakely has retired from her Hawke's Bay Junior Intercity Rugby Board roles to concentrate on her marching commitments. PHOTO/PAUL TAYLOR

DISSATISFIED with the direction junior rugby administration is heading in Hawke's Bay made it easy for Taradale matriarch Adele Wakely to call it quits this week.

"So many parents have said their lightweight kids won't be playing if proposed changes are introduced and that would be a crying shame," Wakely, 85, said.

The Hawke's Bay Junior Intercity Rugby Board's treasurer and draws steward, has been involved with a variety of rugby roles for the past 61 years. Her only involvement from next year will be with the Wakely Shield under-50kg tournament which is named after her and has been played at her club for the past 13 years.

"For every 10 heavyweight junior players in the Bay there are 40 or 50 lightweight kids. From what I understand there will be no weight limit from ninth grade up next year and we haven't got the numbers to justify the move," Wakely said.

The Taradale club's junior convenor for 30 years until she retired last year Wakely, is a life member of her Taradale club and the junior intercity board. Her son Bazil Wakely, who was involved with the board for 31 years and had a variety of roles including weighmaster and draws steward has also retired.

While he didn't want to comment on the reasons for his departure it is understood he holds similar views to his mother.

A mother-of-nine, Wakely first got involved with the Taradale club when she began washing senior team jerseys in 1955. She also got involved with the club's catering and social committees.

A former Hawke's Bay Rugby Football Union delegate for Napier JAB and the intercity board Wakely, started coaching in 1959 and has completed a referee's test every year since then.

Wakely won the Volunteer of the Year award at the 2004 New Zealand Rugby Football Union's annual Steinlager Awards function in Wellington.

"It was a fantastic evening and the highlight of my time in rugby. The late Jock Hobbs presented me with my trophy and Jerome Kaino carried my heavy trophy down the stairs for me because I had a big bag full of goodies. Jerome won the age grade player of the year award and he's still playing for the All Blacks," she recalled.

Other highlights included the hosting of the late Jonah Lomu at a Taradale junior club day, the hosting of four All Blacks, Bull Allen, Justin Marshall, Eric Rush and Blair Larsen at a dinner, the hosting of 500 All Blacks Supports Club members at a dinner and being part of a team of volunteers who planned and organised the Taradale club's move from Taradale Park to the Tareha Recreational Reserve.

"It has been a great club ... the club," Wakely said.

It wasn't a surprise when she rattled off her list of favourite players. All are former Taradale players - former All Black Bill Davis, former Maori All Black Paul Blake, former All Black Sevens players Colin Bourke, Dallas Seymour and Aaron Hamilton and Chiefs utility Andrew Horrell.

"Dallas and Aaron share the same birthday as me - August 19," Wakely said proudly.

It's fair to say Wakely won't be taking things easy during her retirement. She will continue to play cards twice a week and her biggest commitments will be centred around the Taradale Super Grans Leisure Marching team.

"We've got 28 members aged 50 to 84 and I do all the choreography," she explained.
In October the team was one of 55 in action at the North Island Leisure Marching Day staged in Taradale's Pettigrew-Green Arena and in March the team will travel to the New Zealand Leisure Marching Day in Wellington.

When she returns from Wellington, there will be a short break from sporting pursuits before she sits down with family members to begin planning for the 14th annual Wakely Shield tournament. With eight confirmed entries it will be the biggest and Wakely will be busier than previously with the catering side of things.