Colt rugby experiment to continue

CHEMISTRY: The Metro Colts experiment worked last season and the same chemistry is expected repeat the success this year.

The success of the Whanganui St Johns Club Metro Colts rugby experiment last season has ensured the side's survival this year.

The side was originally set up as a bridge to transition school leavers through to senior club rugby level and hopefully keep those same school leavers in the game rather than lose them to the many other endeavours life throws at them in today's environment.

While the Wanganui Rugby Union already had similar ideas, the concept was pitched by Metro co-coaches Darryl Malcolm and Carl Gibson and accepted. It was decided to run the new side through the Metropolitan Union, a sub-union to main body to keep it separate to clubs.

WRU game development officer Justin Lock said from the union's point of view the experiment worked well.

"The Metro colts ended making the semi-final in that Manawatu grade in its first year and I believe some of those players no longer eligible for the grade are going to club rugby - that was one of the main aims," Lock said.

Several stars also emerged from the team.

Te Rangitira Waitokia starred in the Wanganui and New Zealand Heartland back lines. In fact, he was an integral part of the Wanganui team that won the Meads Cup.

Hare Meihana is another to take the eye of astute judges.
Meihana played in the Wanganui U20 team that competed in the Hurricanes development series and was voted player of the tournament.

Malcolm said he understood upwards of 90 percent of last season's players would return this year and he was excited about that.

"We will lose one or two like Te (Waitokia), but 90 percent are coming back and we have 100 percent backing again from the St Johns Club," Malcolm said.

"While they call the Colts grade U21, it's actually open to U23 with weight restrictions. What we are especially pleased about is those players who had last season cut short through injury are also coming back.

"There was a lot of raw talent among those injured players and some of them could quite easily have followed a similar path to Te with further development and that's just what we plan to give them this year. I hope the union puts together a plan to attract any school leavers to this concept.