Referees onside with Taranaki rugby trust
A wish to be on every playing field in the region has seen the Taranaki Community Rugby Trust broaden its sponsorship scope to become the major backer of referees in the province.
Trust chairman Garry Carnachan made the announcement on Saturday as stakeholders gathered for an annual update prior to Taranaki returning to Yarrow Stadium for the first time since 2019.
Taranaki Rugby Referees chairman Ray Hopkinson described the sponsorship deal as a ‘‘game changer’’ for the organisation, which annually has to find the money to buy new uniforms and provide transport costs, while continually trying to recruit to keep numbers at a sustainable level for the sport to function.
‘‘This really is massive for us,’’ he said. ‘‘It not only gives us the security of major sponsor, but it will help us right across the board with all of our costs while we try and develop as many referees as possible.’’
The registered charitable trust, unique on New Zealand’s provincial landscape, was established in 2008 with the purpose of helping to fund and promote community rugby in Taranaki, using money generated through its successful dairy farming business.
This year had been arguably the trust’s most significant, with the purchase of a 350-cow farm at Manaia, one of the farms it previously leased. It still leases its original Beach Energy farm, also in South Taranaki.
The trust was also closing in on distributing $1 million into the amateur game in Taranaki.
This included supporting 15 clubs through a range of programmes for sponsorship and rugby development.
‘‘We are now farm owners, and we are really proud of that fact,’’ Carnachan said. ‘‘It secures the trust for long-term future in terms of being able to provide benefits back to Taranaki community rugby, which is really important to us.’’
Taranaki Rugby chairman Andrew Thompson also acknowledged the work the trust was doing for the betterment of the sport in the region through what had been a number of challenging years.
‘‘We are the envy of every other provincial union in New Zealand with what the trust is doing to support the community game. It’s just massive,’’ he said.