The Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Union has no qualms over an NZRFU policy which limits the number of "imports" to four in teams contesting this year's Heartland championship. Four unions, North Otago, East Coast, Buller and West Coast, appealed the policy on the basis that it was too restrictive but confirmation came yesterdaythat their appeal had been lost. Wairarapa-Bush chief executive officer Phil Taylor said the current rules were borne out of an extensive competition review undertaken by the NZRFU and his board was happy to work within their confines. "Once the rules are there you accept them and get on with life, that's pretty much the way we are operating," Taylor said. With Peter Russell as selector-coach Wairarapa-Bush used the maximum number of "imports" when winning the NPC third division title in 2005 and the Heartland championship last year. Russell, who now coaches Air NZ Cup side Hawke's Bay, gave local players the opportunity to press their claims for selection in the early-season non-championship fixtures and then did his best to cover any deficiencies by "importing" outside talent, invariably from the Wellington area. Current coaches Graeme Cheetham and Lofty Stevenson have used only local players for the three non-championship fixtures played so far this season, against a Wellington XV, Hawke's Bay and Manawatu. All three games have seen Wairarapa-Bush on the end of hefty defeats but Cheetham and Stevenson have continued to place their faith in players who are playing their club rugby here. And with just one non-championship match to go-against Poverty Bay in Gisborne on August 11 to go before their Heartland campaign kicks off against West Coast in Masterton on August 18, time is fast running out for them if they are planning to fill their quota of "imported" players. Taylor said the WBRFU board would be meeting with Cheetham and Stevenson as a matter of course early next week to discuss all matters concerning their team but he emphasised that once they were confirmed as coaches the choosing of the players was in their hands. "The board itself has always encouraged the development of local players but at the end of the day the coaches have to do what they see as being best for their side," Taylor said. "The board understands that, we are not the coaches, they are".
