Norths rugby scores $15,000 grant
‘‘When the community believe in you, so too do the coaches and the players.’’
Rugby clubs struggle to retain college leavers but thanks to a NZ Community Trust grant, the Northern United RFC hopes to continue building its particular brand of the game to another level.
Helping the club tackle one of the sport’s biggest obstacles is Norths’ coaching development officer, Jacob Ellison, a former Hurricanes player and Mana College old boy.
The younger brother of All Black Tamati Ellison, he made his debut for Wellington in 2007 and for the Canes the following year.
After four years in the Canes, a stint with the Highlanders, and a spell with Japan’s Munakata Sanix Blues, he has been an integral part of the Norths community since 2015.
The Community Trust’s 69,158th grant of $15,000 was awarded to the club in the 2016/2017 financial year, to put towards Ellison’s role.
Club president Ron Wood said the much-needed money goes a long way to ensuring Ellison continues networking across all levels of sport throughout the Porirua area.
Strengthening the link between colleges in Porirua and helping players with the transition from college to club rugby is key to growing the sport and the club’s standing, he said.
‘‘Jacob’s role is solely about developing the game from the ground up. We have 28 junior teams and eight senior squads with four colleges dotted around the community.
‘‘That is quite a large area for one person to cover and network across, but we have already seen an influx of players joining the club thanks to Jacob’s influence and a buy-in from the community about what he’s trying to achieve.
‘‘When the community believe in you, so too do the coaches and the players.’’
As a former professional rugby player who first cut his teeth at Norths, Ellison’s advice is ‘‘top notch’’, Wood said.
‘‘You can’t find better knowledge to help grow our rugby in Porirua, because you get better players. Other clubs envy what Jacob can offer us, so it’s quite exciting.
‘‘In time, we will see better players come through all the ranks, from juniors to seniors.’’
After a strong fourth place in the Swindale Shield competition, North’s premiere side hosted their first Jubilee Cup Premier match against Old Boys Univer- sity on June 10.
But Old Boys proved a formidable side, going up 19-5 at halftime before closing the game out with a bonus point 36-10 win.