New faces as Horowhenua-Kāpiti club rugby kicks off tomorrow

Former Horowhenua-Kāpiti number eight Tom Zimmerman in his playing days. He takes over the reins as senior coach of Foxton this year.

Five of the seven premier club rugby teams in Horowhenua-Kāpiti have new coaches this season, with the first round of competition matches kicking off tomorrow.

Only Waikanae coach Simon Fifield and Rahui coach Mark Tooman remain at the helm of their respective club sides.

Tooman is going for back-to-back titles with Rahui and was last season’s Horowhenua-Kāpiti Coach of the Year. It was his second year at the helm and he would be supported by assistant coach Cliff McLennan.

Fifield is in his 10th season coaching Waikanae and will again be supported by assistant coaches Dan Vulu and Jacob Smith.

Their job would be made easier by the fact Waikanae have a senior reserve team joining the fray this season and the two teams will train as one squad, creating a push for positions and depth to cover injury.

Two former Horowhenua-Kāpiti front rowers in Tom Zimmerman and Kurt Jackson take over the reins of Foxton and Wanderers respectively, while Gary Lomax steps up to the senior grade for College Old Boys after coaching the club’s senior reserve team last season.

Yhan Franks takes over from Nathan Beuck as head coach of Shannon this season after coaching the reserve grade team last season, while new Paraparaumu coach Johnny Saunders also steps up from coaching reserve grade.

Meanwhile, the only change to the two competitions this season is that Wanderers won’t have a senior reserve team and Waikanae and Foxton have both entered senior reserve teams.

The fact that an extra team has been added this year bucks a trend for a local club rugby and indicates the domestic club scene in Horowhenua-Kāpiti is in good heart.

CLUB COACHES FOR 2024:

Shannon: Senior coach: Yahn Franks. Snr reserve coach: Marty Tupara.

Foxton: Senior coach: Tom Zimmerman. Snr reserve coach: Tipu Luke.

Athletic: Senior reserve coach: Stacey Kerehoma.

Wanderers: Senior coach: Kurt Jackson.

College Old Boys: Senior coach: Gary Lomax. Senior reserve: Rouruina

Rahui: Senior coach: Mark Tooman. Snr reserve: Hamish Buick and Louis Marshall

Paraparaumu: Senior coach: Johnny Saunders. Senior reserves: Shaun Duseigneur

Waikanae: Senior coach: Simon Fifield. Snr reserve coach: Joe Maligi.

WHO, WHERE AND WHEN

Senior draw (all games 2.45pm): Wanderers v Waikanae, Playford Park. Foxton v COB, Easton Park. Shannon v Rahui, Shannon Domain. Paraparaumu bye.

Senior reserve draw (all games 1pm) : Athletic v Waikanae, Playford Park. Foxton v COB, Easton Park. Shannon v Rahui, Shannon Domain. Paraparaumu bye.