Grassroots unlikely to see the wealth
The wrap
The GI Spanner heads went to the High Veldt with high hopes of remaining unbeaten but Kaikorai dashed those dreams pretty quickly with a clinical performance — thus there is only one.
With Varsity losing, the same two teams will play off for the Speight’s Jug and the riches that flow when they meet again in the Gallaway round — go figure! Southern was too good for Zingers to go two for two and get its season back on track. AU defied the pundits and ignored the injury toll to score late to upset the inconsistent Bookworms. Dunedin continued to right the Sandpit with a lastgasp win through a sideline conversion to upset Harbour.
Both sides will go into the Gallaway with confidence as it was a quality game between two good sides and it could have gone either way.
Silver Lakes deal
Every pseudoexpert is giving their opinion on this “to be or not to be” question so I may as well dive in. Firstly, I can’t decide if it is a good move longterm for rugby in this country. Yes, we certainly need a massive financial boost to survive but at what cost? Silver Lakes’ tentacles have been all over the proposed breakaway football league in Europe which spectacularly crashed and burned so that gives a a clue as to where priorities lie. Are the players just trying to line their own pockets? The jury is out but past experience suggests yes.
The thing that does strike me is how New Zealand Rugby let the players have this power of veto. Will grassroots rugby see any of this newfound wealth? Sadly, I seriously suspect not. Once the noses have been in the trough we’ll be forgotten once again — unfortunately, platitudes don’t pay the bills. What we need in grassroots rugby is a paid administrator in each club that needs one (not a fulltime role). This will enable us to get volunteers back. We also need real rugby development officers back in the unions whose sole focus is getting more kids playing rugby. This is not a big ask but will we get it? Probably not but I’d loved to be proved wrong just
once.
Timing’s everything
So after 60 years the Taieri Rugby Club finally saw the light and didn’t wait until l the middle of winter to run its fantastic kids sevenaside tourney. A brilliant day with just under 1000 kids running around at the Elver Pit last Sunday — stunning, apparently. So imagine my surprise last week when I see Otago rugby and football getting together (which I do applaud) to run a fusion (who came up with the cookbook name?) tourney last Sunday to get the kids to come along to at the stadium. Yes, you did read that right — last Sunday! My spies tell me 30 turned up! Timing is everything team, and this certainly wasn’t a good example of it. Consider yourselves chastised.
Rugby day at Wingatui
Noelle Prince, of the Otago Racing Club, is trying to attract the Metro rugby clubs to its meeting on Sunday June 6 with a punting competition to find out the most astute club puntingwise. Well worth a look and sounds like a good comp so get your clubs into it ASAP. The Sharks will be tied up with their 150th celebrations so it’s a good opportunity to win while the hot favourites aren’t at the starting stalls — more next week.
Down on the farm
I’ve struck again — I am a jinx. I tipped the West Taieri Swine to go unbeaten for a second straight year and, yes you guessed it, they got rolled by Clutha Valley PTA at the weekend. The word is President Darryl is still getting over it. Mate, it’s a long season. It will come right.
The ref crisis
More on this next week but we are at tipping point. Some of our refs are doing three games on a Saturday and that won’t continue — games will have no refs. More next week.
This weekend
Destroyed Hedge from GI last weekend and on to Chaver, from Kaik, this week so the run continues. On the high veldt, Kaiki will be too big and strong for an underdone Shark (12) pack but I believe in miracles. GI (12) comes storming into town to take on AU and just gets it done but it will be close. Harbour (13+), with its gargantuan pack, will be all over Zingers like a rash at the Barracuda Bowl. The Eels (12) slither into town and tip over Varsity at the Oval.
Lost to Thommo from West Taieri last weekend because Roxburgh fell apart late but on to Red O’Connell, from Wakatipu, so a win is assured. Goats (13+) thrash the sister team the Cavs in a romp. I’m tipping the Bulls (12) upset Upper Clutha on the Lake. The Maggots (12) keep the revival going against Alex. Wakatipu (13+) will destroy Matak below the Gondolas.