Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Big drive to push repairs over line
A rocked rugby club in south Marlborough is hoping a preseason Makos game will help pay for repairs to its quake-damaged clubrooms, again.
Awatere Rugby Club, in Seddon, will host a Tasman Makos v Wellington Lions warm-up game in August as it starts fundraising to meet a $160,000 repair bill.
Their first target though is the $29,000 insurance excess.
The clubrooms have been hit three times in as many years by earthquakes, twice in 2013 and in November last year.
Awatere Rugby Club member Andrew Lawson says the wider Seddon community moved mountains to fundraise $60,000 for repairs after the Seddon earthquakes.
‘‘The club has a good heart and is well supported by the local community but it is going to take a big effort to start fundraising again.’’
The Tasman Rugby Union has also been fantastic in their support, with the Makos pre-season game and an interest free loan of $27,000 to help pay the excess, Andrew says.
Awatere joined up with Kaikoura last season to form an East Coast team but the earthquake and closure of State Highway 1 has blocked the combined team playing this season.
Work is progressing at a fast pace to have the club facilities ready for the first home game on April 8.
‘‘We’re struggling a bit but we box on.’’
All the joinery has been replaced with new aluminium windows, and doors.
Interior walls have been re- gibbed and re-painted, hot water cylinders replaced, floors repaired and the outside patio rebuilt, and the bar area and chiller repaired.
The playing ground suffered no damage.
Repairs to showers and changing rooms housed in a separate building, owned by the Marlborough District Council, will be completed by the first home game, he says
‘‘We’re a bit shell-shocked as there has been substantial damage to the building inside and out.
‘‘The deadline is getting close before the first home game but we will get there.’’