Rugby: Hika hammer blow

The loss of Hika Elliot is just another blow for a Hawke's Bay club trying against odds to keep itself afloat in the premier competition, says Don Hutana, the chairman of Tamatea Rugby and Sports Club.

Hutana says dumped Hawke's Bay Magpie hooker Elliot, who is a member of Tamatea club, provided myriad leadership qualities that'll be hard to replace.

"This is just another blow for Tamatea and the whanau because he is part of us," says Hutana of the 27-year-old four-match All Black rake who the Magpies have dispensed with for the 2013 ITM Cup rugby campaign this winter.

Early this month, Hawke's Bay Rugby Football Union CEO Mike Bishop said the 83-match Magpie didn't meet the union's expectation of value but New Zealand Rugby Union CEO Steve Tew has questioned Bishop's position.

At Tamatea club, Elliot has presented prizes to junior players as well as returning to the club soon after his tour of duty as an All Black when he was accorded a haka and presented a taonga (gift).

Elliot's leadership qualities, he says, were reflected last Super Rugby season when he helped compose and perform the franchise haka in the final before their maiden victory.

However, Hutana accepts Tamatea club are facing bigger issues as they prepare for life after Chiefs player Hika, who has yet to declare if has secured a berth with another province before the national provincial championship kicks off in winter.

"You feel let down when only half a dozen players turn up at training sessions.

"We have to look at ourselves first and get our systems in place," he says, adding keeping a healthy relationship with the HBRFU is imperative.

Tamatea, who received an 80-8 flogging at the hands of Versatile Tech Group of Companies Napier Technical last Saturday, are struggling to find and retain players at premier level.

Primarily they are under pressure to tidy up their own house before knocking on the HBRFU door for elite players, especially in the engine room, to provide much-needed grunt.

"Definitely in size, anyway, we're the smallest team by far.

"Every premier club receives players each season but we haven't got one for several years now," Hutana says, bemoaning the dearth of big men in the Tamatea pack to compete equitably on Saturdays.

Tamatea last received a player, forward George Naopu, six years ago before he left for Clive club the following season.

Hutana's 17-year-old grandson, Jordan Harmer, a Hastings Boys' High School first XV player, had approached the premier team to help out in their opener against Napier Pirate Rugby and Sport this season.

"That's the extent we have to go to field a team," Hutana says.

In the second-round of the Nash Cup match at Bill Mathewson Park earlier this month, he says Clive import No8 Mark Atkins scored three tries in their 19-0 victory over Tamatea after the sides were locked 0-all at halftime.

"Atkins is not the best in the world but we could have beaten Clive with a scratchy team."

Hutana says Tamatea have a solid development team and at least five of the players from there should be up there with the premier squad under ex-Magpie and coach Colin Mataira.

"They are predominantly Samoan boys who want to play alongside their mates and don't want to go up to the prems so there's our difficulty.

"I don't know what we have to do. We'll just have to keep plugging away and plod along without them."

The chairman of the union board, Brendon Mahony, said last night he would respond today to questions sent via email from Hawke's Bay Today on what can be done to help Tamatea.