Kaikohe makes most of opportunity
RUGBY UNION The success of Saturday’s Super Rugby pre-season clash in Kaikohe will open the door to future top-level games, Kaikohe Rugby Club president Cheryl Waaka says.
The Blues beat the Chiefs 43-10 in the sell-out game at Kaikohe Central Ground, the first time the town has hosted a Super Rugby event.
Waaka, a former Black Fern, said some had doubted the town’s ability to host a big event or draw a crowd, but Saturday’s event had proved then wrong.
The club had been determined to make it a success with preparations starting three months ago and volunteers working “around the clock” in the days leading up to the game.
“We [Kaikohe Rugby Club] were stoked . . . Just happy to be given the opportunity to host it. I’d like to thank the council and the rugby union in giving us this opportunity. It was hard work to get it across the line and have it hosted in Kaikohe.
“They [Blues] were just stoked with the way our volunteers looked after them, how professional our crew were, Wally Harris was in charge of that,” she said, adding the Blues were “blown away” at the quality of the Kaikohe field
The Blues and the Northland Rugby Union were keen to come back, while the lights being installed at the grounds this week would open up more opportunities in future, she said.
The event’s success was a relief to anxious staff at the Far North District Council, which had under-written the game to the tune of $59,568 — the potential loss if no one had turned up. Instead the event is expected to make a small profit. Council chief executive Shaun Clarke said a week ago only 2000 tickets, half the total, had sold. However, by Friday night only 400 were left, barely enough for last-minute gate sales.
Even the weather had been ideal, he said.
“If there was no cloud everyone here would be cooking.”
The game had brought multiple benefits, Clarke said.
One was the pure joy of sport and bringing it to people who didn’t often get a chance to see a top-level game. The boost to Kaikohe businesses was another, but perhaps the biggest benefit was the flow-on social impact of local youngsters seeing so many motivated, professional
Joyce-Anne Kapa, 13, and Benji Sula, 8, show their support as the Blues build up an unassailable lead.
"Here we’ve got something big, we can celebrate it and build on it. We can change Kaikohe if we seize on this and keep going." Mike Edmonds, Kaikohe-Hokianga Community Board chairman
players, coaches and staff.
“You don’t know how many 8-year-olds are looking at [Blues assistant coach] Tana Umaga right now and feeling inspired. When I was 12 and living in a tiny town in Canterbury, an air
force Skyhawk flew over my home and in 2.5 seconds my life was mapped out. When I was 18 I joined the air force and flew jets,” Clarke said.
Among those cheering from the sidelines was 13-year-old Joyce-Ann Kapa of Kaikohe, who was excited to discover she was related to Blues player Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa.
“It’s cool. I like it because it’s something good in our town instead of bad.”
The teams were welcomed onto the pitch with a haka powhiri by cultural group Te Tira Paraoa and Kaikohe Rugby Club juniors. Entertainment included a police dog demonstration at half time; after the game a section of the crowd performed a rousing haka for Ioane brothers Rieko and Akira, Blues players who whakapapa to Nga¯puhi.
Kaikohe-Hokianga Community Board chairman Mike Edmonds saw the game as a chance to attract future events, such as a Mitre 10 Cup match, and investment to the town.
“It was a hard sell, a lot of people thought we couldn’t do it. We know there’s good stuff going on in Kaikohe, but it’s small stuff, it doesn’t catch the imagination of national media,” he said.
“Here we’ve got something big, we can celebrate it and build on it. We can change Kaikohe if we seize on this and keep going.”