Cameron McLennan, 9, and his dad Mike McLennan are proud to be part of the Otumoetai Eels Rugby Club family, with Cameron in his 5th season with the club. Photo / George Novak
Cameron McLennan, 9, and his dad Mike McLennan are proud to be part of the Otumoetai Eels Rugby Club family, with Cameron in his 5th season with the club. Photo / George Novak
The Otumoetai Eels Rugby League Club is more than sports club - it's a family that is part of a community.
This is one of the reasons the club's president Karl Mcneil believes they are a successful club.
Cameron McLennan, 9, and his dad Mike McLennan are proud to be part of the Otumoetai Eels Rugby Club family, with Cameron in his fifth season with the club.
On Sunday, the club picked up the Coastline DRL Outstanding Club of the Year award in the 2018 Coastline District Rugby League (DRL) Awards.
Three of the club's players also scored four individual awards, with the club taking a total of five of the 14 awards up for grabs.
"It was really good to get that award," Mcneil says, of the club title.
One of the award recipients, Slade Baker-Taingahue, received the Coastline DRL Outstanding Under-15 Player of the year and the Overall Supreme Player of the Year awards.
Mcneil says there is no doubt Taingahue-Baker is going places, being eyed up by scouts and despite being so young, is focused, hard working and is doing everything right.
The awards, based on club and player performances throughout the Coastline District Rugby League season, were held on Sunday. The coastline district separated from the Bay of Plenty district in 1991, now covering the areas between Te Kaha and Katikati.
Mcneil is proud of what his club has achieved, and says there is so much more the club is looking to achieve in the near future.
"I'm just pretty proud of the club, obviously we're ticking the boxes and doing the right thing," Mcneil says.
"We're always looking to improve the club," he says.
Otumoetai Eels have "a couple of hundred in the club", covering juniors to seniors, right through the age groups from under-6 to premiership competitions.
Otumoetai Eels' Ephraim Baker-Taingahue in action against Hangarau Storm in the junior competition. Photo / File
This year however, they didn't have an under-17 team but next year they are looking to expand their junior grades, have new coaches coming in and some of their senior players are already doing some pre-season training to prevent injuries and improve skills overall.
But, the club does more than just focus on league.
Mcneil says they are part of a community and they will be looking at ways to strengthen their place in the community by getting the community more involved.
"It's about making a family," Mcneil says.
The club runs a Kiwi Tag competition, starting on October 26, in a bid to keep adults active in the off-season and attract more club members.
They are also looking at reviving netball within the club, as well as introducing a women's team in the league competition.
As a way to make it easier to attract committee members, they are embracing technology as well.
Mcneil says it's hard for people to always make meetings and technology such as Skype allows people to interact no matter where they are.
Otumoetai Eels Rugby League Club president Karl Mcneil says his club is a family. Photo / George Novak
Coastline District Rugby League chairman Stan Nicholas says every award recipient deserves their recognition, with competition tight this year.
He says players recognised have represented the zone and the province, while the winning club - Otumoetai Eels - have a well-organised committee, putting the right people in the right place and dominate the competition right throughout the age groups.
"They've been what the other clubs are aspiring to," Nicholas says.
There are eight clubs that come under the Coastline District Rugby League competition but Nicholas says that may increase to nine next season.
He'd love to have 10 clubs in the competition maximum "otherwise we'd have clubs moving into other club catchment areas".
With this year's league season complete, Nicholas says they are looking ahead to next season and want to continue looking at development and longevity in the sport.
Award recipients:
Coastline DRL Outstanding Under-13s Player of the Year 2018: Milan Milosevic (Putauaki Stags) Coastline DRL Outstanding Under-14s Player of the Year: John Lees-Faulkner (Otumoetai Eels) Coastline DRL Outstanding Under-15s Player of the year: Slade Baker-Taingahue (Otumoetai Eels) Coastline DRL Outstanding Under-16s Player of the Year: Tyzak Rhind (Hangarau Storm) Coastline DRL Outstanding Under-17s Player of the Year: Navarone Walker (Papamoa Bulldogs) Coastline DRL Outstanding Senior Player of the Year: Daniel Holmes (Otumoetai Eels) Coastline DRL Overall Supreme Player of the Year: Slade Baker-Taingahue (Otumoetai Eels) Coastline DRL Outstanding Team Trainer of the Year: Scotty Bishop (Hangarau Storm) Coastline DRL Outstanding Team Manager of the Year: Parehuia Bishop (Hangarau Storm) Coastline DRL Outstanding Team Coach of the Year: James (Jock) Nicholson (Papamoa Bulldogs) Coastline DRL Outstanding Referee of the Year: Darren Borell (Referee's Association) Coastline DRL Outstanding Volunteer of the Year: Jules Walker (Coastline DRL Executive) Coastline DRL Outstanding Team of the Year: Taneatua Warriors Premier 2s Coastline DRL Outstanding Club of the Year: Otumoetai Eels RL
