Onerahi Rugby Club gets Bunnings Rugby Assist boost to upgrade facilities

Stephen Donald during the juniors training at Onerahi Rugby Club, the only recepient in Northland of Bunnings Rugby Assist. Photo / Michael Cunningham

No one is more chuffed to secure funding for a much-needed upgrade to their rugby club facilities than tireless volunteer Fiona Raymond-Paikea.

Onerahi Rugby Club was among 15 such clubs throughout New Zealand that applied for and received $10,000 worth of materials each as part of Bunnings Rugby Assist. Five clubs were selected to get $30,000 worth of building products.

The Whangārei-based club was the only rugby club in Northland among the inaugural recipients.

The assistance helped volunteers finish upgrading the showers while an earlier successful application to Rugby For Life enabled the club to upgraded its kitchen, install a hot water system, and do painting.

Former All Black and Bunnings Rugby Assist ambassador Stephen Donald was invited for a get-together at the club on Thursday when players and volunteers helped finish off the upgrades, and shared a meal in the clubrooms afterwards.

The club has more than 60 children competing in the U5, U7, U8, U10 and U12 and
for the first time in a long time, it will be fielding a senior team in the Northland club competition.

Raymond-Paikea, nearly 40, started playing age grade rugby in Onerahi when she was just 4 and is widely regarded as the beating heart of the club.

Fiona Raymond-Paikea started playing at the Onerahi Rugby Club since she was 4 and is still going strong. Photo / Michael Cunningham

The soon-to-be grandmother not only coaches the junior team, she ferries them to and from practice, organises gear and puts on meals at the club for players and their families after the games.

Her entire family is part the club – her mum was up until recently involved in the committee, her son plays and her yet-to-arrive grandchild will be the fourth generation in her whanau to play the sport.

When she moved to Australia in early 2000, she said rugby at the club went into recess, the building was abandoned and there was no committee. She returned five years later and got things back on track, with the help of volunteers.

With no funds, Raymond-Paikea and other volunteers started by selling 100 hangi packs each fortnight to get the club going.

"Our focus has been the kids because I know from experience what it means to get the children to come and play. We're grown slowly but purposely because of a lack of volunteers. We'd love to have 10 teams but we don't have 10 coaches and 10 managers.

"We are trying to be more than just rugby, to have a facility in our community they can utilise for events, and for the club to be a hub for the community."

Stephen Donald and Fiona Raymond-Paikea at the get-together to celebrate the Bunnings Rugby Assist initiative. Photo / Michael Cunningham

On what keeps her going, Raymond-Paikea said: "Our children, our grandchildren and work towards providing a safe and enjoyable environment for them."

Her family grew up with All Black Norman 'Norm' Berryman who started his rugby in Onerahi.

Donald, who helped the All Blacks lift the Webb Ellis Cup at Eden Park in 2011, was excited to help small rugby clubs and said coming from a small community, he understood the difficulties for such clubs

"I also know how tough it is for amateur clubs these days to survive. Bunnings Assist is helping in ways that clubs won't be able to do themselves ... we all know that clubs are cash strapped and being able to get given stuff and help is just wonderful.

"You just have to look here for the next Rene Ranger or Norm Berryman which is not too far away I can imagine," said the man nicknamed Beaver.

Manager of Bunnings in Whangārei Sara Yates said since her team of 150 lived in the community, her company was pleased to support rugby clubs to become successful.

"The assistance means clubs can hold games, events and tournaments which has been a struggle because of a lack of facilities."