Nowhere to kick winning goals

Clevedon is excited at reviving its famous rugby club. But something's missing from the footie field, writes Rowena Orejana.
The rugby club has held the Hawke Cup for close to 100 years. Unfortunately, the Wairoa Rangers have lost their goalposts.
"We have got to be the only small town in New Zealand that doesn't have a set of goalposts," says club member Tony Curran.
The club turned 120 this year and its birthday wish is for a rugby field - complete with posts - at Clevedon's Showgrounds.
Wairoa Rangers won their first championship in 1893, then again in 1896 and 1899. They played against the Taupo Maoris, Maraetai and Pokeno. They also travelled by boat to play against Panmure and Thames.
The Hawke Cup was passed around every year but, if a team won for three consecutive years, they kept the trophy. The Rangers got their 95-year-old cup for winning from 1911 to 1914.
"Clevedon was quite an important place. It was the coastal port for taking cargo, mostly butter, to Auckland," says club president Ken Parry.
But a lack of players, brought on by two world wars and the march of progress, caused the farming community's club to fold. "It appears that in those times all men and boys were needed for work on the farm," says Mr Parry.
The club was resurrected in 2005 as a Country v. City team challenge between junior club players from the Clevedon area and Auckland City clubs.
"The main aim is to provide something so the kids can get back together and play rugby. We want to generate community spirit and camaraderie," says Tim Seabrook, the club secretary. Two teams will be added this year.
"The kids, they talk about it in school. Word gets around real quick. And the community just jumps right in. Everybody rolls in to do the work," says Mr Seabrook. Only the children play but the dads are just as excited.
Mr Curran says the club is teaching the children to work hard for what they want. Last summer, they raised $9532 by picking up 7485 bales of hay.
The reward is they get a new set of jerseys, in the colours of the original team. Last year, 56 boys from 32 families played in three tournaments.
Many of them are descendants of the original players, with surnames such as McCullum, Pallister, Duder, and Alexander.
"At this point, we are just playing socially, not for real competition," says Mr Parry, who thinks a competitive team is unlikely. "But it may happen in the future. You never know. What is important is to keep this team going."
The 2009 Wairoa Rangers will play College Rifles for the Clevedon Shield on Fathers Day. They have also scheduled games against Te Kauwhata and Hikurangi with matches set against Pakuranga and arch-rivals Pukekohe.