Supporters Club getting behind team for must-win game
THE North Otago Rugby Supporters Club will be in full voice tomorrow at a ‘‘mustwin’’ home game, life member Mark Herron says.
Whatever the weather or the representative side’s form, the supporters will assume their regular place on the bank at Whitestone Contracting Stadium. They are impossible to miss in their maroonandgold kit, cheering fanatically for North Otago.
‘‘We get our fair share of media attention,’’ Herron said.
The supporters club made its annual away trip last weekend, trekking to Te Aroha for the Thames Valley match.
A posse of seven, including one woman, drove to Christchurch to catch a flight to Tauranga. They stayed there on Friday night then headed over to Te Aroha — Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s home town — on the Saturday.
‘‘She wasn’t around to support us,’’ Herron said.
However, ‘‘the supporters up there looked after us really well’’.
After a night in the Te Aroha motels, they made their way to Auckland for the flight back to Christchurch.
The annual weekend trip involved an outlay of about $1000 each, Herron said. Despite their commitment, North Otago recorded its third consecutive loss.
‘‘It was hard to take. It was disappointing.
The thing is, the team know they’ve got the ability to do better.
‘‘As long as we’re there, we get behind them every game.’’
The supporters didn’t drink Te Aroha dry, but ‘‘we gave it a good hit’’, Herron said. ‘‘We always have a good trip, but no strange stories cross the Waitaki River.’’
Before each North Otago home game, Herron looks for the opponent’s website or Facebook page to get in touch with its supporters. If there’s no club, he leaves a message on the rugby union’s page and gets responses about who will be travelling to Oamaru.
‘‘We invite them to a pregame barbecue.’’ During the game, ‘‘we don’t care what happens with the other team’’, Herron said.
But afterwards they go and have a beer and socialise with the opposition supporters.
‘‘We’re all there for the same thing — we all love rugby.’’
HEARTLAND CHAMPIONSHIP RUGBY:
North Otago v West Coast; 2.30pm Saturday; Whitestone Contracting Stadium, Oamaru.