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Reaction over club revamps |
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Written by Site Admin
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Thursday, 19 April 2007 |
Most Manawatu clubs have accepted the union's senior competition restructure as being preferable to cutting struggling clubs and sending them under.
The 2009 format of 16 sides split into two divisions of eight announced on Monday night has received conditional support from most chairmen the Manawatu Standard contacted yesterday.
As Feilding chairman Steve Scott said, it all hinges on the bottom eight competition being strong enough to maintain interest.
Most chairmen wanted reassurance that four new clubs would be found to flesh out the bottom eight.
If the split from the existing 12 teams was done now, there would only be four extra teams.
A team like Dannevirke could be a fifth but the other would probably have to come from existing neighbours and that has sensitive political ramifications. The board has also stipulated all players would have to be eligible to represent Manawatu.
Of almost all of the chairmen canvassed, the new format was the only compromise. Many hadn't discussed it with their committees so offered their personal views.
Marist's Malcolm Burr was the strongest supporter.
"Marist has held several meetings and was always in favour of an eight-team competition," he said. "It's a very strong move".
College Old Boys had been pushing for 10 teams but chairman Kevin Jones was happy with the decision. He said his club would have to have its board running smoothly and the club better than it is now.
"I do feel sorry for some of the country clubs, but what do we do as a province? Do we keep to the old- fashioned ways?
Murray Edgecombe High School Old Boys said to have chopped teams would have been the death- knell of a couple of clubs. He's glad clubs must fulfil criteria to fit into premier one.
"This one has more teeth to it. It is very encouraging and I think it will work well. It doesn't preclude anyone from being in premier 1 or 2. I feel for the gateway clubs because heartland rugby has always been a breeding ground for sending players to division one."
He too stressed everything is contingent on the bottom eight being competitive.
"It's probably not going to fly unless the union attracts clubs from outside the competition."
Feilding Old Boys' Doug Brew's personal view was that the format had considerable merit and that the union couldn't continue as it had.
"The criteria just have to be met, whether we're in or out," he said.
Linton Army chairman Don Jones was "generally happy", preferred it to cutting clubs and was glad of an extra year of breathing space.
"The challenge facing the union is having enough competitive clubs," he said.
Bush chairman Dave Wolland's personal view was that it could be good for rugby with another eight teams fighting to get to the top division.
"My doubt is how will they get the other four teams?
"The quality is not there at the moment but they are talking a regional format."
Te Kawau manager Colin Gates feels it could work, even if it was in three or four years' time.
His club currently fields five teams.
"We realised improvements needed to be made and this looks to be as good a compromise as you're going to get.
"All clubs will have to do a bit of work."
Dave Parata (Kia Toa) and Colin Parker (Freyberg) could not be contacted.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 11 June 2007 )
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