Co-coaches aware of big shoes to fill

New Wairarapa-Bush rugby coaches Graeme Cheetham and Lofty Stevenson don't see the team's impressive record of the past three seasons being a millstone around their necks.
They realise that following in the footsteps of Peter Russell who took Wairarapa-Bush to runners-up and winners of the NPC third division series in 2004 and 2005 respectively and then to the inaugural Heartland championship title this year, is a hard act to follow.
But rather than take the view there is only way to go ? and that is down ? they are focusing on maintaining the level of success achieved during Russell's reign.
"Obviously we can't do any better results wise but we can stay at the top, and that's what we will be aiming to do," Cheetham said yesterday. "We know it's a big ask but we believe it can be done."
The fact that Cheetham, who guided Eketahuna to three successive senior first division club titles in 2003, 2004 and 2005, isn't coaching Wairarapa-Bush on his own account would have come as something of a surprise to many pundits, but his partnership with Stevenson was at his initiative.
It was prompted by a feeling that coaching at the top level these days had become more than a one-man job and with Stevenson ? the rugby development officer for the Wairarapa-Bush union ? having assisted him in the role at Eketahuna and with the Bush sub-union side last season he was the logical choice.
Cheetham said the two would be co-coaches in the truest sense of the words although they would very probably have different responsibilities in match preparation.
"We haven't really talked through how things will operate yet but we will both have an equal say in what players we want and what our game plan will be ... that's a definite," he said.
Cheetham and Stevenson are planning to get preparations for the 2007 season underway as early as this Sunday. They will be contacting club coaches over the next couple of days with the idea of having them provide the names of players to attend a training session at which pre-season training regimes will be established.
"We want to get things moving as quickly as we can ... we need to keep the players informed of where we are at, and what we expect of them," he said.
The arrival of Cheetham and Stevenson in the coaching role comes at a time when change is well and truly in the wind in Wairarapa-Bush rugby circles.
The union's annual meeting this week saw David Cameron stand down as board chairman to be replaced by Brian Weatherstone and there is a new president and vice-president too, Keith Hannam taking over from Farry McLeod as president and John Percy from Hannam as vice-president.
With Weatherstone on the board are Graeme Reisima, Charlie Meyer, Richard Dahlberg and council of clubs chairman and deputy chairman respectively, Fergus Rutherford and Matt Rowlands.
Two new life members were also elected at the annual meeting, Pat Shannahan and Ron Hughes. One of the main discussion points at the meeting was a remit from the Wairarapa JAB which was aimed at them having direct representation on the board However, it was defeated and the status quo remains.