Northland community fixes kids rugby goal posts broken for two years

Tikipunga youngsters celebrate their revitalised sports field, possible thanks to the community's help. Photo / Michael Cunningham

A Tikipunga rugby field is back in action after a school teacher rallied the community to fix its broken goalposts.

The kids and parents of Tikipunga Rugby Club were absolutely stoked at the reopening of their second field after a long two-year closure.

Tikipunga Primary School teacher Basil Hauraki started the project on the spot when he saw the state of the fields while watching his students practise.

"Four of my students play for Tikipunga Rugby Club and asked me to come and watch them train."

There Hauraki met Shane Smith, Tikipunga Rugby Club co-ordinator and coach of the under 12's team.

"We talked and I learned that their second field had been closed for the last two years due to a broken goalpost upright," Hauraki said.

Smith said the club had been struggling to cater for all their practices and games with only one usable field.

The fields are owned and maintained by Whangārei District Council, which confirmed requests were received and an order was made for new goalposts, but due to Covid related supply delays, they hadn't been delivered yet.

"I got on the phone right then there to Paul Christie of Ten 4, who after hearing the need, said, 'no problem, bring it down, we'll sort it for the kids'," Hauraki said.

The next morning Hauraki loaded the two broken posts on his trailer and delivered them to Ten 4.

"However, the welded post was too long for Ten 4's truck, and so we had a problem trying to get a 10.1-meter pole to Tikipunga Rugby Club."

"I popped into ITM Whangārei and spoke to Andrew about this project and asked if his company might be able to assist with the transport of the post."

ITM was keen to help and delivered the posts to the field, where Hauraki and his nephew Steven Hauraki began erecting the posts.

But it wasn't an easy try, the pair hit a snag when two of the shackles were faulty and the crossbar of one goal post was too short.

"I rang Steel and Tube and spoke to Tania Rapana. After hearing the story, she made some calls and offered and provided material in the way of piping for a new cross member."

"We still needed some shackles at which I rang and Craig of Northland Scaffolding and also, Ben of MB Scaffolding, both provided pipe shackles."

"By the end of Thursday evening, Steve, Becks, my wife Kiri and I, with the awesome help and Kiwi kindness of local businesses along with the kid's dads, had re-erected the goalposts."

In just over a week, the posts which were out of action for two years were repaired by the joint community effort.

"(It was) great to see the willingness and good old fashion Kiwi kindness that just pulls together to get things sorted, especially for our kids."

The revitalised field was used for the first time at Tikipunga Rugby Club's club day last Saturday , which coach Smith said attracted a large crowd of spectators.

"It's just important to involve all the kids," said Smith.

"We try to involve as much of the community into the club as possible, and that's what we've been pushing for the last couple of years."