Fears split will kill rugby club
The Canterbury Rugby Football Union (CRFU) is expected to make a decision next week on the fate of
70-year-old Christchurch rugby club Suburbs.
Suburbs claims it faces extinction if junior club Halswell Wigram is successful in its bid to break away and form its own club.
Halswell Wigram applied to the CRFU to become independent in
2017 – a move Suburbs members said was done secretly. The CRFU initially allowed it, but backtracked three weeks ago after the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) stepped in.
Suburbs committee members were confused about why Halswell Wigram wanted to break away and felt betrayed because they started, funded and promoted the burgeoning junior club in 2013 after CRFU requests to expand into the rapidly-growing area.
The initial arrangement was to let Halswell Wigram run itself, but as a part of Suburbs.
Suburbs’ president Richard Gibbons said he was ‘‘absolutely gutted’’ with the proposal to split the clubs.
The Division 2 club had an agreement with the CRFU to create an eligible Division 1 team by 2020, otherwise it would be relegated to Division 3.
Gibbons said Suburbs would be unlikely to achieve this goal if the split happened, because it would no longer have the numbers required for a premier side.
‘‘The club will fold probably. You can imagine what pathway kids have got then. They’ve got no seniors, nothing to look up to, so the parents will go and follow clubs with senior teams.’’
Sponsorship would effectively dry up for the adult sides if they relegated to Division 3, he said.
"They're part of our club and yet they're allowed to walk away."
Suburbs Rugby Club president Richard Gibbons
‘‘Our volunteered time, the effort from families that we have put in for it to be taken from you by a group who believe they are better [is disappointing]. You can’t put a price on our time and effort.’’
Halswell Wigram needed two other clubs to approve its request to separate, according to the CRFU constitution. Two clubs approved – Linwood and Christchurch FC – but it was later revealed just one member from each club, instead of a committee, signed off on the approval, Gibbons said.
‘‘They pulled the wool over the [CRFU] board’s eyes and got away with it. You can’t stop anyone starting up a new club, but what we’re getting at is they’re part of our club and yet they’re allowed to walk away.’’
Suburbs appealed the CRFU decision to the NZRU in December, which then met with Suburbs on January 26. The CRFU revoked its decision 10 days later.
Halswell Wigram has resubmitted its application, which the CRFU will decide on next week.
CRFU chief executive Nathan Godfrey said it had been attempting to mediate between the two groups.
‘‘The CRFU certainly respects the 70-year-old history of the Suburbs Rugby Club. We are proud that Halswell Wigram is one of the fastest-growing rugby areas in New Zealand; the CRFU is committed to supporting the parents and volunteer administrators who have invested so much time and energy building the Halswell Wigram brand.’’
Halswell Wigram committee member Paul Hammond referred all inquiries to the CRFU.
‘‘It’s very simple, we can’t comment at the moment. We’re just a group of amateurs trying to do our best,’’ he said.
The NZRU declined to comment.