It's a waiting game for Whanganui Rugby

It has been a hectic time for WRFU chief executive Bridget Belsham. Photo / Lewis Gardner

Comment:

Covid-19 continues as a very extended waiting game for most facets of life this year including for Whanganui rugby officials, players and supporters regarding a starting date for the 2021 Bunnings Warehouse Heartland championship.

The lockdown regulations have already delayed the start of the competition by at least three weeks with the Steelform Butcher Boys having home fixtures against Horowhenua-Kapiti and North Otago and an away game against South Canterbury already rescheduled through to October.

There is also the almost certainty of an away trip to meet 2018 Meads Cup champions Thames Valley this coming Saturday being the fourth scheduled match to be delayed.

It all depends how long it is before Covid-19 level 2 arrives. Even then NZRU rules decree that all teams must have at least two full training sessions before being cleared to start playing championship fixtures.

This is understandable because of safety rules with injuries highly likely after a break of a month from physical training even although most players will have undertaken their own individual fitness exercises.

For WRFU CEO Bridget Belsham it has been a hectic month. She is also the secretary of Heartland Rugby and has had a maze of contact calls with the other 11 unions as they endeavour to make transport and accommodation arrangements for fixtures that may or may not be played on certain dates.

There is also the question of the availability of suitable playing fields because of an over-lap with the approaching summer sporting codes and in addition some rugby players traditionally switch to summer sports.

With Heartland matches already heading into most of November the question of a shorter championship format, including the possibility of separate North and South Island divisions, with inter-island finals, has been discussed.

It all adds up to a continuing waiting time for everyone concerned until Covid-19 level 2 arrives. Even then crowds will be restricted to groups of a maximum of 100 supporters spaced around playing venues.

Heartland unions have been involved in talks this week, hopeful of a starting date of September 18, depending on a drop to Covid-19 restrictions.

Whanganui is scheduled to host Poverty Bay at Cooks Gardens that weekend.

Loan Players

Loan and Players of Origin squad members have become important acquisitions for the 12 teams involved in Heartland Rugby since the national championships started 25 years ago with Whanganui fielding players from six other NZ unions plus two overseas-based players.

When Otago winger Peceli Malanicagi and Manawatū mid-fielder Kameli Kuruyabaki (ex-Kaierau and Taihape) eventually take the field in this year's delayed competition it will boost Steelform Whanganui's "borrowed" player numbers to three dozen from eight unions plus Ireland and Australia over the past quarter of a century.

They comprise 26 backs and 10 forwards, coming from near neighbours Manawatū (seven players) and Taranaki (six) plus Auckland (five), Hawke's Bay, Waikato and Wellington (two each), Counties-Manukau and Otago (one each).

Six loan players have appeared in more than one season – first five Mark Davis (Coastal-Taranaki) in 2008-09-11 as a loan player and as a local player from Pirates and Border; winger Johnny Mow (Coastal) in 2007-08; mid-fielder Faapulou Soolefai (Inglewood) in 2008-09; utility back Fraser Middleton (Petone in 2009-10); mid fielder Rhema Sagote (Auckland University) in 2012-14; and centre Tevita Taufu'i (Kia Toa – PN) in 2011-14).

The two overseas loan players were Perth-based Marton-born centre Saul Chase in 2012 and Irish international first five Steve Crosbie in 2016.

There have been numerous other overseas born players, mainly from South Pacific islands, who have worn the Whanganui colours while affiliated and playing for local clubs.

Four loan players who had only a single game for Whanganui in a season were named in Ranfurly Shield challenging sides – Davis and Soolefai against Wellington at Cooks Gardens in 2009, Asaeli Tikoirotuma (Te Kawau – PN) v Southland in 2010, and Tom Wells (College Rifles-Auckland) v Taranaki in 2012.

The first three players had represented Whanganui the season before a shield challenge and Wells was playing in Taihape in 2012 while awaiting a transfer from Auckland.

Goal-kicking Mark Davis was a very valuable gain for Whanganui, scoring a local Heartland record 129 points in 2011 plus 118 in 2008 and 109 in 2010

The inclusion of loan players helped strengthen the Butcher Boys ranks to emerge as the most successful Heartland union in the country while for smaller struggling teams like East and West Coast they would have struggled to field a side.

Wanganui's loan players –
2021 (Pending) –
Kameli Kuruyabaki (Manawatu – Mid Field).
Peceli Malanicagi (Otago – Winger).
2020 (Series Postponed) –
2019 (Meads Cup 2nd) –
Ezra Fano Melisea (Auckland – No 8 – 7 games – 10 points).
Amos Pogia (Auckland – Mid Field – 6 – 10).
Shai Wiperi (Manawatu – Utility Back – 10 – 5).
2018 (Meads Cup 3rd) –
Michael Tafili (Counties-Manukau – Lock – 5 – 10).
2017 Meads Cup Winners) –
Kampeli Latu (Overseas returning – Prop – 6 – 0)
Jona Sawailau (Auckland – Three Quarter – 5 – 25).
Bruno Tuwai (Auckland – Winger – 4 – 0).
2016 (Meads Cup Winners)–
Steve Crosbie (Ireland – First Five – 4 – 24).
Blake Hohaia (Taranaki – Mid Field – 6 – 30)
2015 (Meads Cup Winners) –
Jon Smyth (Taranaki – Lock – 9 – 0).
Trinity Spooner-Naera – Hawke's Bay – Mid Field – 9 – 116).
2014 (Lochore Cup Winners) –
Josh Hamilton (Taranaki – First Five – 6 – 45).
Bryn Hudson (Taranaki – Loose Forward – 6 – 10).
Rhema Sagote (Auckland – Mid Field – 10 -35).
Tevita Taufu'I (Manawatu – Centre – 10 – 0).
2013 (Lochore Cup 3rd) –
Douglas Horrocks (Manawatu – Loose Forward – 9 – 5).
Jason Temara (Manawatu – Mid Field – 9 – 5).
2012 (Meads Cup 2nd) –
Saul Chase (Australia – Mid Field – 7 – 30).
Gene Ropoama (Manawatu – Prop – 8 -10).
Rhema Sagote (Auckland – Miid Field – 10- 20).
*Tom Wells (Auckland – Second Five – 1 – 0).
2011 (Meads Cup Winners) –
Mark Davis (Taranaki – First Five – 9 – 129).
Daniel Fitzgerald (Manawatu – Loose Forward – 8 – 15).
Tevita Taufu'i (Manawatu – Mid Field – 8 – 30).
2010 (Meads Cup 2nd) –
Aaron Kelly (Waikato - Lock – 10 – 0).
Fraser Middleton (Wellington – Three Quarter – 8 – 0).
Tau Moeke (Waikato – Mid Field – 9 -30).
*Asaeli Tikoirotuma (Manawatu – Utility Back – 1 – 0).
2009 (Meads Cup, Winners) –
*Mark Davis (Taranaki – First Five – l – 0)
Fraser Middleton (Wellington – Utility Back – 10 – 60).
*Faapulou Soolefai (Taranaki – Centre – 1 – 0).
2008 (Meads Cup Winners) –
Mark Davis (Taranaki – Five eighths – 10 – 118).
Johnny Mow (Taranaki – Winger – 10 – 65).
Faapulou Soolefai (Taranaki – Mid Field – 9 – 35).
2007 (Meads Cup 2nd) -
Pehira Huwyler (Hawke's Bay – Mid Field – 9 – 10).
Johnny Mow (Taranaki – Winger – 4 – 10).
Jon Smyth (Taranaki – Lock – 10 – 0).
2006 (Meads Cup 2nd) –
No Loan Players
NOTE - *Denotes Ranfurly Shield Challenge only.

Loyal Supporter
Whanganui Rugby and especially the Marist club has lost a loyal supporter with the death of 92-year-old Patrick (Paddy) O'Hara last week.

He gave a lifetime of service to the Marist club, starting off as a third grade player over 70 years ago, and was the oldest club life member as well as being club patron at the time of his death.

Paddy, who helped the club revive in the late 1940s, after the end of World War II, rose from a third grade forward to senior ranks and as an administrator served on the club committee, became president, was elected a life member then became only the second non-clergy patron (a position that had traditionally been held by the parish priest).

After his retirement from playing he managed numerous Marist teams and was a local delegate on the North Island Marist committee that helped organise the annual Spillane Cup tournaments.

In business Paddy and his brothers operated the busy O'Hara Transport and Readi-Mix concrete company which was the main sponsor of the Marist Rugby Club for many years.

Fellow club life member Brian Vaughan said the generous O'Hara brothers' annual financial support enabled Marist to survive during some difficult years.

O'Hara's were a major firm in the concrete business in the Whanganui area with the most notable contract being the Tongariro power plant on the Desert Rd which required a concrete silo in Waiouru.

A major undertaking in Whanganui was the new concrete Town Bridge, which replaced the old steel bridge which was demolished in 1969.

Like his late brothers, Paddy was a real down to earth individual who called "a spade a spade" and will be missed in Whanganui rugby circles.