‘Man up’ – Bulls’ fans told
Taranaki Bulls supporters are being called on to ‘‘man up’’ and keep supporting their team after a horror season that ended with the side relegated out of the premier division.
On Friday, the Amber-and-Blacks lost to Wellington 34-10, leaving the Bulls at the bottom of the table in the Mitre 10 Cup competition. The loss brought an end to a season they will want to forget. The side, which was decimated by injury throughout the season, only managed to win two games out of 10.
The season had an inauspicious start when the main stands at their home ground Yarrow Stadium were deemed earthquake prone and unable to be used by spectators. This forced a plea from rugby administrators that fans still turn up for the games, if only to stand at the ends.
Things then got worse when they lost the crowd-drawing Ranfurly Shield to Waikato in September, after which the union organised a fundraising dinner to raise much needed cash.
But Taranaki Rugby Supporters Club president Grant Hassall is confident Taranaki rugby fans won’t desert their team. ‘‘Man up. Take the good with the bad. No-one envisioned this was going to transpire in
2018 but it has and it will be a test of the people of Taranaki how we respond to it. And I’m confident that we will respond in a positive way and we will see happy days again.’’
Hassall believed the run of injuries was the worst a Taranaki team had faced since
1987. As well as that there were players called up for the All Blacks, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi and Angus Ta’avao, unexpectedly, he said.
‘‘And when you take out players of that magnitude – All Black ones and those injured – it’s going to make a ginormous hole in any side.’’
So, he’s not calling for new coach Willie Rickards’ head.
Taranaki Rugby chief executive Jeremy Parkinson said Rickards had the union’s full support. ‘‘We used 39 players throughout the tournament. And we lost Angus in our third game. We had won two out of three games. He was an inspiring leader. He’s a tighthead prop which is a key position.’’
The union was going through a full review – done by an independent facilitator – who would catch up with everyone, including management and the playing group, he said.