Gladstone prop Kurt Simmonds is being groomed as captain of the Wairarapa-Bush Heartland championship rugby team this season. Simmonds has been named to skipper the Wairarapa-Bush squad in non-championship fixtures against New Zealand Defence Forces at Memorial Park, Masterton next Tuesday afternoon and Central Hawke's Bay at Waipukerau on Wednesday, June24 with the likiehood he will continue in the role for the remainder of the season. Which would mean leading the side into their Ranfurly Shield challenge against Wellington in Masterton on Thursday, July 2 and and throughout their 2009 Heartland campaign which follows. The fact Simmonds is only in his second year in the Wairarapa-Bush senior A side could have some people questioning his readiness to take on the captaincy but coach Kelvin Tantrum yesterday expressed confidence in him being the right man for the job. "He's a young guy who has the respect of the management and the players and I personally believe he is a very good choice,"he said. Tantrum did emphasise, however, that the initial appointment of Simmonds as captain was for just the first two games so that the player himself could decide whether or not he wanted to hold the post from thereon in. "?bviously if Kurt feels it is having an adverse effect on his form or that he simply isn't enjoying it then we will look elsewhere,"" Tantrum said. "There are other options and we would have to explore them." The captaincy of the Wairarapa-Bush side became vacant with the transfer out of the region of both last year's skipper Joe Harwood and his deputy Mike Spence. Meanwhile, Tantrum also revealed yesterday the fixture with Central Hawke's Bay at Waipukerau on June 24 would be played under lights with a probable start time of around 7pm. Central Hawke's Bay is a sub-union of Hawke's Bay and have already had at least one lead-up match this season.Tantrum anticipates them providing the sort of spirited opposition needed by Wairarapa-Bush in what will be the final dress rehearsal to their Ranfurly Shield challenge.
