Meet Your Local Rugby Club 2023

MEET YOUR LOCAL RUGBY CLUB 2023

on board as our Premier Management group.

The reserves will be coached by club stalwarts, James Matthews, Brad Keating, Cory Wilson and Kerry McGhie.

The JAB numbers are up on last year as we see new families moving to Carterton.

CONTACTS

There is a familiar look about the squads but there is also a number of new players in both the Premier & Reserve line-ups.

Grounds at Belvedere Rd, Carterton

Email: info@cartertonrugby.co.nz

For the 2023 season Carterton is delighted to have Garth Thomson, Errol Weston, Rhys Scott and Neil Rodger

Carterton Netball is now part of the club and they will be ÿ elding seven senior teams. Pre-season training kicked o° in February and it is encouraging to see good numbers albeit not all at the same training.

The Premiers have arranged two pre-season games against Johnsonville and Feilding. The players are currently reaping the beneÿ ts of the clubs investment in an independent water supply and the playing surfaces are in excellent condition.

Carterton welcomes any new members as players, administrators or supporters.

Website:

www.cartertonrugby.nz

Steve Hurley [President]

P (027) 493 5577

Tony Browne [Manager]

P (027) 246 7778

Trish Heming [Secretary]

P (027) 335 8240

CARTERTON Rugby Football Club

CARTERTON rugby football club

MEET YOUR LOCAL RUGBY CLUB 2023

Larger player numbers a er “covid hangover”

Carterton is enjoying increased player numbers at the start of the 2023 season, says club president Steve Hurley.

“We are certainly better positioned than we were at this time last year, with around 30 percent more registered players

“This will allow us to have both a Premier and Senior Reserve side this year.

“Last year we just had a premier side, combining with Greytown to form a Reserve side. I think Greytown is doing okay this year and they will be ÿ elding their own reserve side as well.”

Steve thinks local rugby is beneÿ ting from a return to more normality.

“I think last year was a bit of a hangover from the Covid lockdown, with a lot of players from the year before choosing not to play with everything still feeling up in the air.”

CARTERTON Rugby Football Club

This year Carterton still has most of the players who won the Premier championship in 2022, except for one or two retirements.

“It is not a big squad, but competitive with around 22 or 23 players, but the quality of the team is pretty reasonable.

“They have a new coach in Garth Thomson who is a Level 3 coach who has come through the ranks from junior and college rugby to assistant coach of the Premiers.

“Now it is his time to take over. He’s also coaching the Rathkeale College ÿ rst ÿ fteen.”

Like every season, the two sides will be a starting afresh, Steve says.

“You can assume nothing from the previous year. You have to make sure you go through and tick all the boxes, get everything done that you need to, in order to have a good season.”

This season there will be a longer rugby season and Steve thinks this is “very much a good thing.”

“Last year there was not enough rugby - again a hangover from Covid. Now people are again motivated to get out, get active and play sport.”

Carterton Netball joined the Carterton Rugby Football Club a couple of years ago and this arrangement is still going well, Steve says.

Carterton Netball still operates as a separate club, but uses all the rugby club’s facilities and has a representative on the rugby club’s committee.

“They are very motivated and a very positive attribute for the club. The quality of their administration is as good as any in all aspects and they add a huge value to the club.”

Carterton has a few projects for physical improvements in

the pipeline, Steve says, “but we have got to jump through the hoops which can slow things up.”

Steve’s involvement with the game goes all the way back to his school days at St Joseph’s College in Masterton (now Chanel).

His family’s involvement with

the Carterton Rugby Club going back to his grandfather, meant Steve was always going to play for the club.

Since 1982 he has been a player, coach, chairman, and president for the past eight years.

One of the signiÿ cant features of the club, Steve says, is its

commitment to the principles of “Commitment, Trust, Brotherhood” or CTB as it is known amongst the players, coaches and management.

“The players drive it and we really try and build on it each year. We are far from perfect and make mistakes, but it is a reminder of what we expect from people.”

MEET YOUR LOCAL RUGBY CLUB 2023

EAST COAST Rugby Football Club

East Coast has two new coaches for its Premier side this season, in Ritchie Robertson and Guy Williams, while T K Karaitiana returns as sole coach for the Senior Reserves.

Last season was a bit disappointing says club president Ross Wakeling with the Premier side missing out on the top four.

But it did have a good win on Finals Day against Greytown, as did the Senior Reserves in their match against Greytown/ Caterton.

“We are looking forward to carrying on that momentum into the new season, with a lot of the same players returning for both teams.”

Based at Whareama, 30 minutes east of Masterton, the East Coast club covers a large geographic area and has some of the most passionate supporters in the competition.

East Coast doesn’t have the star players but it is always competitive and Ross expects this season to be no di˜ erent.

East Coast is known for its open, ° owing game and “chucking the ball around,” says Ross.

The club is having its JAB muster this Saturday 1st April, as well as its club day at Whareama with anyone who would like to play for club or be involved in some away welcome to come along from 11am onwards.

EAST COAST rugby football club

CONTACTS

Ross Wakeling [President]

P 06 372 6861

E rockview@xtra.co.nz

Lisa Wyeth [Club Captain]

P 027 672 6050

E womie03@hotmail.com

Nicole James – Boyce [Club Captain]

P 027 977 5232

E boycey08@hotmail.com

Ritchie Robertson [Premier Coach]

P 027 237 8859 or 06 372 4040

As Ritchie Robertson recounts it, “a couple of weeks ago I got the door bashed down by the club wanting me to coach them.”

Now the retired farmer and retired coach is back for East Coast after last year’s head coach Aaron Matenga was involved in a motorcycle accident.

Ritchie is no stranger to East Coast having coached it numerous times over the years as part of a very successful coaching career.

He took East Coast to its only Premier championship title in 2008, a feat he has also achieved with Greytown’s Premier side for which he had previously played 360 games. The former Wairarapa Bush halfback and wing is up for the challenge and particularly pleased to be working with assistant coach Guy Williams.

“We are both on the same wavelength in terms of the style we want to play. We get on well.”

He doesn’t want to give too much away but says it will be about using the ball and playing an attractive brand of rugby.

“All rugby games these days are based on defense.

Everyone plays that way.

“That doesn’t enthrall me as a spectator and you won’t see East Coast playing that way.”

At the beginning of this season the East Coast Premier team is going through a rebuilding phase, Ritchie says.

“There are a few young fellows and am talking to a few of the old boys to come o˜ the bench.

“The rest of the team is going to be quite useful. We have a

club day this Saturday where we are going to mix up the Reserves and Premiers and pick the team out of that.”

Ritchie has a history of making great teams out of what potential he can ÿ nd in the players.

Three years ago he took the East Coast Reserve side from a team that hadn’t won a game in three years, to undefeated champions in their competition.

“I like to think for a competitive

team you have got to have the right players in the crucial positions.”

One of the big things missing today is one-on-one coaching, Ritchie believes.

“It’s all very well running teams but you have to communicate with the players individually –give them a boost when they are down for example.

“Before each game and at training there is plenty of consultation with the players.”

MEET YOUR LOCAL RUGBY CLUB 2023

Capturing East Coast rugby moments

Lisa Wyeth will again be capturing East Coast’s rugby moments, using her skills as a photographer. From a “massive rugby family”, Lisa has been the club’s o˜ cial photographer since 2014.

“I love photos that capture the moment. Rugby photos are so di° erent. also like to take photos of what is happening on the sideline.”

Lisa takes photos of the entire game, taking hundreds of photos at each match and loads around 80 of them on the club’s website and Facebook page.

Lisa always photographs both the Reserves and Premier games, going to the Reserves match ÿ rst and then driving to the Premier game.

A framed collage of Lisa’s photos are given to East Coast award winners at the end of each season.

Rugby referee a great way to stay in the game

If you loved playing rugby but have hung your boots up, being a referee may be the next best thing, o° ering a great way to stay active in the game, and stay ÿ t.

This season the Wairarapa Rugby Referee Association will have around 20 members refereeing games, from JABs up to the premier division.

One of them is committee member Peter Semmens who has been refereeing for the past nine years and this year will be refereeing all the above grades. He says the association has just enough referees to cover games, if there aren’t any injuries or anything else that reduces the numbers.

“We could do with another four or ÿ ve referees.”

The Wairarapa Rugby Referee Association is a club, just like any other rugby club, Peter says. “We have a membership fee, prize-giving, patron, secretary and so on.”

“We have a major sponsor who has just come on board in PGG Wrightson with Ray White Real Estate and Lone Star Restaurant, which really helps the club with expenses and keeping going.”

The Association has its own club room in the Trust House Memorial Park stadium where everyone meets every Tuesday to do a de-brief of the weekend before, keep up to scratch with law changes, and discuss anything else that is pertinent.

“We also look at certain scenarios, so we are all on the same page and players are hearing the same language from all the refs.

“This makes communication with players a lot easier, as we are all explaining laws and infringements in the same way.”

The Association is a very social club with members, including life members, dining out during referee exchanges with their partners at Lone Star restaurant.

The Association has several referee coaches to train up new recruits, led by the highly experienced Harry Quinn.

Peter says the high standard of the Wairarapa’s coaches is re˝ ected in the fact that they are often asked to referee games in Wellington.

Being a referee is a great way of staying ÿ t, Peter says.

“A lot of players take up coaching when they retire but coaches don’t run.

“When you are a referee, you are out on the ÿ eld with the players. It’s the next best thing to playing.

“And while don’t win or lose, feel like I have won if have had

a good day refereeing a match.

“As a player, you try to learn from your mistakes and that is exactly the same with referees.

“So it has a lot of good things going for it.”

There is no age limit or other requirements, with new recruits starting o° refereeing JAB games, moving up the grades as their skills develop under the guidance of their coach, and then sticking with the grades that they most enjoy refereeing.

There are pathways now for young referees who aspire to referee at the top level in New Zealand with Alistair Payne and Rebecca Mahoney recent examples of this.

Older referees who are not ÿ t enough to referee games can become assistant referees on the sideline.

The training includes how to deal with situations that can arise with players and spectators.

“The secret is to recognize that you have a problem starting to arise and know what measures to take to limit it.”

But most of the time, Peter says, refereeing is a highly enjoyable and satisfying role.

Anyone interested in ÿ nding out more can contact the Association on Facebook or its website, or contact Wairarapa Bush Rugby Union head O° ce, Ph 06 3788 369

Eketahuna will be looking to do better in 2023 after having gone through the 2022 Premier season without a win, although it did come close once or twice.

The problem, says Club President Blair Percy, was the lack of enough players.

EKETAHUNA Rugby Football Club MEET YOUR LOCAL RUGBY CLUB 2023

“We had about 20, but you need around 26 to be comfortable, especially when you get to the tail end of the season with injuries and what not.”

Going by the turn-out at last week’s practice, Blair thinks it looks like Eketahuna will ÿ eld a team.

“I know there are a few other teams struggling too. The problem in the Wairarapa is that players come out of school and have nowhere to play.

“There is no under 21 competition. That’s where a lot

of players disappear. You can’t leave school and go directly into the senior team.

“It would be a good idea to get an under 21 side together - get young guys playing till they are old enough to play senior rugby. Having an under 21 side is more important than having a reserve team.”

Blair is hoping that next year

Martinborough will have an under 21 side playing in the Wellington competition while Eketahuna will have one in the Manawatu competition, with players in the Wairarapa joining one or the other club.

“We might look at that next year if we can ÿ nd a coach and

manager. He even envisages a Masterton under 21 side at some stage.

It looks like the Eketahuna premier side might have some Fijian players with four turning up for the practice last week.

Former player Rupeni Tamani, who went on to play for Waikato and then Otago, has

kept in touch with the club and directing potential players Eketahuna’s way.

“Hopefully he will ÿ nd a few players for us. We will see how we go. There are a lot more Fijians in the Wairarapa now, working in the forestry industry.”

The team will have a strong coaching and management team.

Craig Pepperell will again be head coach, with James

Schoÿ eld as the new forward coach, and Grahame Cheetham in a supporting role, while the team will be managed by Steve Penn.

One of the strengths of the team is the commitment of the players, Blair says.

“They travel long distances because they like to play for this club. The sponsors are very loyal, and the after-match food is second-to-none.”

CONTACTS

MEET YOUR LOCAL RUGBY CLUB 2023

GREYTOWN Rugby Football Club

This year we are excited to welcome Kerin Herlihy into his new role of head coach for the Senior Premier team for the 2023 season.

He will be supported by Brady Bingham, Dane Buchanan, Ben Kinvig and Paora Ammunson.

Kerin is a stalwart of the club and is up for the challenge

of turning around the Senior Prem’s fortunes after a very di˜ cult 2022 season where they failed to make the semi-ÿ nals for the ÿ rst time since 2011.

Fortunately Kerin will be able to call on a mix of youthful ÿ repower from the likes of Gracyn Evans, Rongo and Joseph Te Naihi, and experienced veterans such as Tolu Fahamokioa, Nick Olson and Setty John Sammons.

Excitingly, former NZ Schools and Wairarapa Bush player Cyrus Baker returns to his roots after helping Palmerston North College Old Boys win the Hankins Shield last year.

The Senior Reserves (aka the Prowlers) are also under way with a fresh coaching team who

we know will support Kerin and his team while developing our Senior Reserves and creating a fun team environment to be part of.

We welcome on board and thank Ben Holmes, Tavita Isaac and Fraser Kingi.

They will be supported by Hemi Tupaea, Laurence Matthews and their management team.

In the junior grades, we look forward to ÿ elding teams in Rippa (U7s), U9s, U10s and U13 grades.

Our Old Timer’s Day will be held on 13th May this year. We aim to make a great day of it with lots for the kids and adults to look forward to and JAB through to Senior rugby teams to watch on our home grounds!

CONTACTS

Player, coach, supporter –Alan Grant has been all of these in nearly six decades of involvement with the Greytown Rugby Football Club. But has he has never lived in Greytown itself. A student of Wairarapa College, Alan played for the Carterton and Marist clubs before joining Greytown in 1965.

“I worked in the boning room at the Waingawa freezing works and had a mate who was a meat inspector who lived down in Greytown. So gave it a try out and felt comfortable there.

“Greytown is a friendly, family club. Later in life I got married and had kids and we always felt welcome at the club.”

Alan played for the Wairarapa Bush B representative side for one season in the 1970s and continued to play for the Greytown premier side till 1985 when he was in his late thirties. He went on to co-coach the premiers with Ritchie Robertson in 1991 and 1992, winning the championship in the latter year.

Alan’s still very active with the club as a volunteer. “I like to get in and do the hard yards, and help out where I can.”

MEET YOUR LOCAL RUGBY CLUB 2023

Behind every good team... is a good manager

WAIRARAPA WAHINE TOA Rugby Football Club

Among the important roles in any rugby club are the managers of the teams.

One of these is Brady Bingham who joined Greytown Rugby Football Club when he returned to the town where he grew up six years ago. Brady almost immediately joined the club’s committee and became a business sponsor.

Then he put his hand up to be manager of the Senior Reserves for four years before taking up the position of manager of the Premier side this season. Being the manager of a rugby team involves a lot of administration work such as player registration, organising fundraisers, and player communication, he says. Brady handed over management of the Senior Reserve side to Tavita Isaac and Ben Holmes “who have grabbed that bull by the horns and are making a good job of it.

“The senior reserves had their ÿ rst training last week, which was well attended by new faces to the region as well as old faces to the club which is good.

“We are quite an inclusive club that tries to include the senior reserves in any plans for the premier side. This brings them together which you need to do. You need to be one club to win a championship.”

Both the Premier and Senior Reserve players have been beneÿ ting from a free ÿ tness programme provided by Greytown gym and club sponsor Strength Nation. The equipment and sta˜ were provided by former Greytown players A J Manley and Matt Henderson who run the gym.

“They put on group ÿ tness sessions whom anyone was welcome to attend late last year and for the past six or seven weeks.”

Around 25 players took part in the programme which Brady believes will make them wellprepared for the star.

MARTINBOROUGH Rugby Football Club

Martinborough Rugby Club is looking forward to the 2023 season. Once again we have two Senior teams - the guys have been training and counting down to the start of the season.

Our JAB Muster is coming up on the 31 March, with the interest shown already we are once again expecting good numbers.

Contact Ana-May Gudsell if you are interested in your child playing JABph 0274526504 It's never too late to register if you are keen to play. The link for registrations is www.sporty.co.nz

All our supporters are welcome to pop into our clubrooms for home games. We will have hot food available to keep you warm on the sideline. The bar will be open to members and their guests. If you are interested in a supporters membership, just ask one of our friendly bar sta˜ .

As always, thanks to all our sponsors, volunteers and committee members who devote their precious time to keep the teams on the ÿ eld and the Club alive. You can keep up to date via our website, Facebook & Instagram pages, as well as by subscribing to our newsletters.

Wairarapa Wahine Toa was formed in 2022 as a response to the number of wahine that wanted to play competitive rugby in the region.

The club recently gained incorporated status - the ÿ rst female-only club in the North Island.

Wairarapa Wahine Toa play in the Manawatu Premier Women's competitions - Prue Christie Cup, ÿ nishing ÿ fth, and beating Whanganui Metro 15-12 in its ÿ nal last season.

Currently the team is hiring Memorial Park for training and games.

The club is regularly getting around 15-18 players at either of the two sessions it runs during the week and have topped out at 28 players on a number of occasions.

“The best thing is that we have seen some new players coming to join the team - experienced and new to the game,” says Club Chair Jodie Somerville.

“At the moment we have some really exciting players in our back line, with a bit of speed. So we hope that will be a strong point for us.

“We are showing some promise in the engine room, because you need good ball ÿ rst and foremost!

“Outside of the players, I think our real strength is in our team environment. We have a mix of experience levels, which can be a challenge on the coaching front but we really try to make the environment as fun as possible to increase the chances to learn the game.”

GLADSTONE Rugby Football Club

MEET YOUR LOCAL RUGBY CLUB 2023

Last season saw Gladstone make both the Premier and Senior Reserve ÿ nals but unfortunately no further, although they did win the Nunn Shield earlier in the season.

Premiers head coach Stan Wright is back again this season with Charlie Bargh as assistant coach, while the Senior Reserves will see a familiar face back in a head coaching role – Steve Thompson – who is also the patron of Gladstone Rugby Club.

Players have been slow in coming forward for both teams, as is the norm, says Steve, but he expects good numbers for both teams.

Steve coached the Premiers for many years but took a break last year.

“It’s a bit of a change and was asked if would help out.”

He says he will take the role “as

seriously as the players want it to be. We will have to see how committed they are.”

Steve also continues his commitment to the beautiÿ cation of the Gladstone Sports Complex which again su° ered from serious ˛ ooding last year with Greater Wellington Regional Council presently restabilizing the bank with new tree plantings.

As always, the club is extremely grateful for the support it receives from its loyal sponsors, says club president Andrew McKay.

“Without them we simply would not be around as a club and their support both ÿ nancially and in other ways all helps to ensure we can continue to be a vital part of the rural Gladstone community.

“Likewise our supporters are a loyal bunch and we look forward to having a strong presence on the side-lines at all Gladstone games.

“We can’t wait for the 2023 season to commence and look forward to catching up with all members of the Wairarapa Bush rugby community again.”

GLADSTONE rugby football club

CONTACTS

Gladstone Rugby, Gladstone Sports Complex, 576 Gladstone Road, Carterton.

Andrew McKay

[President ]

P 027 419 7366

E mckayfencing@gmail.com

Stan Wright

[Premier Head Coach]

P 027 844 9998

Steve Thompson

[Reserves Head Coach]

P 027 449 9363

Collis Berryman

[JAB]

P 027 721 4051

The coaching team of Stan Wright and Charlie Bargh are back again this season to see if they can improve on the Premier side’s success in reaching the semi-ÿ nals last year.

The two get on well, with former prop Stan focusing on the forwards and former half back Charlie coaching the backs at practice, while they work together on strategy, game plans, and playing style. While Charlie and Stan are both o˝ cially former players, they both will still get on the ÿ eld to play where a gap needs ÿ lling on the day.

Charlie has been playing with Gladstone since 2000.

“When Steve (Thompson) stepped down, Stan put his hand up to be head coach but wanted someone who knew the club well to be his assistant coach, and we knew each other pretty well before that.”

Charlie thinks they will have enough players for both the Premiers and the Senior Reserves sides, although at this

stage registrations are down from last year, which Charlie thinks is a re˛ ection of the state of rugby in general.

“On paper we have two full squads and a number of reserve players to ÿ ll in where needed.

“We will have competitive teams - that‘s for sure.”

The Premier side has retained the core of its players from last year, and added a couple of Japanese players to help out.

“They have been playing in Auckland for a couple of years, and wanted the opportunity to play some heartland rugby.”

Charlie sees the team building on its form from last year.

“We will be playing a style and game plan that suits whoever we have in the team that day, who we are playing against, and the conditions. We are going to have to adapt a lot. We will stick to the philosophy of keep it simple but do it well.”

We

MEET YOUR LOCAL RUGBY CLUB 2023

The joys of coaching a Marist JAB team

MARIST Rugby Football Club

One of the clubs in the Wairarapa with the biggest number of JAB players is Marist.

The club’s JAB delegate is Blair Gardner who along with Emily Thompson does the lion’s share of organising around 130 players and their parent coaches every year.

Blair has been involved with the JABs for the past six years, as well as playing prop for the club’s premier side, from which he has now retired.

Blair and wife Helen have also been coaching the teams their three children Jack, Charles and Madeleine play in.

This year Marist JAB will have 11 teams in the competition, from Under 6 to Under 13.

Each team has two coaches to provide ˛ exibility and help make sure the commitment

is not too great for the parent coaches.

As well as managing registration, Blair meets up with delegates from all the other clubs once a month to discuss any matters that have arisen.

The coaches also referee the games with two refs on the ÿ eld for every game, “as children need a lot more guidance,” says Blair.

The number of players in a team can vary from game to game to ensure all the children are getting to play rather than standing on the sideline.

Blair is always 100 percent keen on ÿ nding more coaches. “The more you have the better

o° you are. Even just parents helping out.”

Beginner coaches don’t need to know much about rugby, he says.

“At the younger grades particularly, it is about keeping them entertained and moving.

“Once you start to coach the older children you need to know a bit more.”

Generally, new coaches start with the Under 6 grade as that is where their children begin, and are paired with another coach with a bit more experience, moving up the grades over time.

former players and some are still playing. We always match people up with a good coach.” How much time parents put into coaching comes down to how much they are willing to put into it, Blair says. Practices for the younger grades are once a week, and twice a week at the higher levels. They start at 4pm which means parents usually have to take time o° work. Like most coaches, Blair took on coaching reluctantly.

“But I found really enjoy it. I didn’t realise how much would enjoy it. The general consensus from other parents is it is much

CONTACTS

Michelle Beaver [President]

P 027 581 2179

E michellebeaver@xtra.co.nz

Terry O’Brien [Chairman]

P 027 451 0678

E info@wairarapascrap.co.nz

Kylie Milligan [Secretary]

P 027 480 4003

E keenmilligan@xtra.co.nz

Tony Beech [Treasurer]

Marist are looking forward to the 2023 season after a successful 2022 which saw both its Premier and Reserve teams making it to the ÿ nal of their respective competitions.

The Marist Under 13 team went through the season undefeated and Masterton Marist was named runner-up Wairarapa Bush Club of the Year.

This year the Premier team will again be coached by Gerald Lologa and Joe Nuku, with Mark Brown as manager.

Most of last year’s Premier team are back but the team has also gained several promising new players.

The Senior Reserves will be coached by Namu Lopa and Dave Maugatai with Andrew Graham as manager.

Marist JAB are the largest in the JAB in the competition and will be run by Blair Gardner, a stalwart of the club who retired from playing in 2020.

Marist wishes all the other clubs a very successful season and looks forward to hosting them at our headquarters in 2023.

P 027 270 9998

E tony@lala.co.nz

Gerald Laloga [Premier Coach]

P 021 106 4060

E geetuifao@gmail.com

Joe Nuku [Premier Coach]

P 022 040 1760

E joenuku@gmail.com

Mark Brown [Premier Manager]

P 027 414 951

E brown.antony1967@gmail.com

Namu Lopa [Reserves Coach Bottom]

P 027 332 7978

E nlopa9802@gmail.com

Dave Maugatai [Reserves Coach]

P 027 242 0509

E dmaugatai@gmail.com

Andrew Graham [Reserves Manager]

P 027 642 2982

E twinkle3982@gmail.com

Blair Gardner [JAB]

P 027 346 0468

E gardner.blair@gmail.com

PIONEER Rugby Football Club

We believe that the cost of playing shouldn’t stop anyone from playing with their friends or whanau, mixed in with great coaches to support and grow them for the future.

We have a very strong and passionate committee that works really hard to create opportunities, from our little ones to our senior teams and kaumatua because we are a community that looks out for each other.

Check our Facebook page “Pioneer Sports Club Masterton” for all information regarding the club’s events.

Numbers are looking really good. We have a few fresh faces and a number of pre-season games to prepare for the Club season to start.

We are hoping that with a few extra numbers, depth will be our key to going better than previous years.

In 2023 we are looking to have less restriction due to Covid. This will allow our club to be out in force to be at games and support their teams.

The club has gone through a massive renovation in the club house which has made a big di° erence for our members and visitors.

Masterton District Council has been great, and Trust House has helped us to get our club looking great and functioning well.

Pioneer is a whanau based club that looks out for each other. We cover a wide community and our passion is deÿ nitely a strength.

This can make playing at home a hard job for visiting teams.

We participate in a number of sporting codes, with a real focus on our kids playing as much sport as they can.

PIONEER

rugby football club

CONTACTS

Richard Carroll [President]

P 027 506 7014

E richard@carrollsjoinery.co.nz

Blue Hansen [Vice President]

P 021 189 3701

E mrsblue@xtra.co.nz

Cynthia Du˜ y [Secretary]

P 022 375 8117

E paehou@hotmail.com

Dan Te Tau [Treasurer]

P 027 272 0920

E dan-pioneer@outlook.com

Mana Apiata [Club Captain]

P 021 286 1355

E isaacapiata@gmail.com

Victor Thompson [Premier Coach]

P 027 800 8565

E vic@goldendrop.co.nz

Helen Gardner with team.

TUHIRANGI Rugby Football Club

MEET YOUR LOCAL RUGBY CLUB 2023

Raising funds for the club is done through crutching, silage stacks, and Ngawi Big 3.

A signiÿ cant part of our history is helping the 1987 All Blacks prepare for the Rugby World Cup by billeting them amongst the local community. We did the same for the Wellington Lions a few years ago.

We are well-known for our delicious clubroom meals, done by Carmen and her merry team in the kitchen.

MASTERTON RED STAR rugby football club

CONTACTS

Barry Todd [President]

P 021 408 961

E bazrobtodd@hotmail.com

Sam Lawrence [Secretary]

P 027 254 7387

E mstnredstarrugby@gmail.com

Shane Coley [Club Captain]

P 027 294 6510

E shanepauline2010@hotmail.com

Chris Senior [Reserves Coach]

P 021 106 7934

E seniorc@chanelcollege.school.nz

Peter Bresaz [Reserves Manager]

P 027 226 4186

E peterbresaz@gmail.com

MASTERTON RED STAR Rugby Football Club

Masterton Red Star is determined to get its team back into the Premier competition and will be using this season as a building block towards this goal.

Last year was a challenging season for the Senior A team which found it hard to build momentum due to defaults

and the structure of the competition but did manage to reach the semi-ÿ nals.

It is also losing players who want to play to play in the Premier competition to other clubs, says coach Chris Senior.

“We are quickly becoming the feeder club to other teams. While we will never hold a player back from chasing their dream, it makes it very hard to build anything ourselves.

“This year we have however managed to pick up a few exciting new players with the main one being the return of Jack Loader to the club.

“Jack and the other boys are all connected to the club through their JAB days, and all on the board to have a big push to do everything in our

power to return to the top grade.”

The strengths of the team this year are its youth, enthusiasm and a great culture, says Chris.

“We will look to play a dynamic style of rugby, giving the ball plenty of air, and allowing our natural ball runners to have a crack.

“We have some huge ball runners in the forward, so utilising them to give us go forward and creating the space for the outside backs will be key.”

The club is very forward thinking, Chris says.

“It is very much focussed on what is important for the people in it.

“They are focussed on developing a strong culture

on and o° the ÿ eld.

“We celebrate the culture of our team with lavalava’s worn after games, and also a cultural evening being embraced this year.

“We come from all sorts of backgrounds but unite under the one banner of the club, so it is important we don’t just park our culture at the door.

“It is to be embraced and grown amongst the team and club.”

“Rugby has lost its fun and enjoyment, meaning we are losing player numbers fast,” says Chris.

The club is aware of this and putting huge e° orts into creating this environment that is huge on and o° the ÿ eld.”

The North Island’s most southern rugby club, Tuhirangi was started in 1904. Our home ground is situated in the wee village called Pirinoa. Marcus Edge kindly lets us use the ÿ eld each year that stock have grazed, so there can be the odd poo the boys try to avoid.

Our clubrooms are up at the Pirinoa Hall. Our players mostly consist of farmers who are local, or blokes that travel up to an hour to be part of our humble wee club.

We are lucky to get a huge amount of support from our community, and of course our amazing sponsors.

So a special mention to these guys - A Donaldson Livestock, A F Scott Contracting, Bayleys, Brushstrokes, Gleniti Romneys, Harvestit, JB Earthmoving, Johnson Bros, Martinborough Transport, Pakohe Lime, Petersen Livestock, Sargent Motorcycles, Tunnell Tyres, Wrightsons, Gordon the mailman, Greytown Butchery Palliser Ridge, Pirinoa Country store, Rahu Ruru, Waimeha Camp Ground.

Tuhirangi club consist of our Senior Reserves team, and our Tuhirangi JAB teams which are made up of children from Kahutara School, Pirinoa School and Martinborough School.

We have a great committee who do a lot behind the scenes to keep everything going smoothly.

TUHIRANGI rugby football club

CONTACTS

Wayne Jephson [Chairman]

Ken Aburn [Club President]

P 027 444 8172

E kjaburn@slingshot.co.nz

Hanna Finlayson [Treasurer]

P 027 420 5696

E hanna.wyeth@gmail.com

Scarlett Boyle [Secretary]

P 027 635 1274

E trfc@hotmail.co.nz

Kurt Portas [Club Captain]

P 027 427 6604

E kurtp@hotmail.com

Scott Dormer [Reserves Manager]

P 027 312 2174

E scott.dormer@hotmail.co.nz

Wilba Davies [Reserves Coach]

P 021 045 4664

E wilba.louise@gmail.com

FEATHERSTON Rugby Football Club

Featherston Rugby Club is 145 years old and still going strong. In 2023 there will be multiple junior teams in the competition: Rippa, under 6s, under 9s and under 11s. We may also have an under 13s if we can get the numbers.

We are working hard to continue developing our junior teams - who are the future of the club and future of rugby in our region. We are providing your junior players with the opportunity to build on their skills, but also their conÿ dence and social skills.

Beginners are most welcome, as is parental participation.

There is the potential for a senior team. However, time is fast running out for registrations. There is no better time for our community and players past and new, to help build the senior team for the 2023 season.

Exciting news: New goal posts are up and we have a new score board. The sport’s library is very popular, where kids and big kids have been practicing their reading skills through on a topic they love – sport. Our committee continues to work hard on upgrading our facilities and training equipment. We are currently looking for new (or upcycled) tackle bags, rugby balls – get in touch if you can help out.

Talk to us if you are willing to donate or keen to help us raise the funds required for these projects. Want to know more? Check us out on Facebook – Featherston Rugby Club or Sporty.

FEATHERSTON rugby football club

CONTACTS

Marc Van de Loo [President]

P 021 544 545

E featherstonrugby@gmail.com

Ritchie Wards [Vice-President/Secretary]

P 027 408 7704

E secretary.featherstonrugby@ gmail.com