North Otago pleased to achieve positive result

NORTH Otago Ruby made a profit of nearly $70,000 last year, despite the side not getting to play in the Heartland Championship.

North Otago Rugby’s surplus of $68,588 for the 2020 year followed on from a net profit of $48,244 in 2019.

Union chief executive Colin Jackson said the union was very pleased to manage a very positive result and all the union’s staff had helped enormously.

The staff had worked hard which had aided the union getting through a difficult and challenging year.

Jackson said the surplus would be used for some small building projects at Whitestone Contracting Stadium.

The union received a wage subsidy of $51,550.

The Heartland Championship was canned by New Zealand Rugby, soon after the country went into lockdown, in order to save costs.

It is set to return this year. North Otago did play some games against Hanan Shield sides later in the year to keep players interested in playing for the representative side.

One highlight for the union was the selection of loose forward Morgan Henderson who made the Black Ferns training camp and was also selected for the women’s Barbarians side.

David Douglas retired as president of the North Otago union and was replaced by Duncan Kingan who, up until 2020, had been the longterm team manager of the Heartland representative team.

Kurow businessman Calum Reid, who runs a electrical contracting business, has joined the North Otago Rugby Football Union’s management board.