Rugby: Find happy medium urges Clive president

Clive Rugby and Sports Club president Daphne Boden (left) says it's imperative for HBRU and the clubs to find a happy medium. Photo/file

The dilemma of losing Hawke's Bay premier club players at the business end of a season isn't any individual or organisation's fault, according to Clive rugby president Daphne Joy Boden.

In endorsing Henare O'Keefe's voice for the collective, Boden says all it requires is an open-minded approach to address the issue.

"It's not the rugby union's fault, it's not the clubs' fault but just trying to find a happy medium where you can have the season finishing at the right time," she says, revealing her phone has been running "red hot" on the subject but emphasising she isn't "out to stir the pot either".

Boden says having double-headers "doesn't work and is too hard so that idea's out".

She cautions against the suggestion that two clubs should be dropped from the premier competition.

"A couple of years ago we were looking at decreasing the number of teams in the premier division so I don't think that works either."

Boden says that isn't the solution because it will ultimately penalise the two teams perched on the lowest rungs of the ladder.

"That's not going to help Hawke's Bay rugby at all."

She says once players are signed as Magpies "technically we can't use them anyway".

"I mean it'll be good if we can find a happy medium where it suits the union and the club so we need to look at the structure."

Boden suspects there's a lot of "misinformation out there" so there's a need to zero in on the schedules and playoffs.

"We have only two days so we need to try to shorten to bring them back by a week then everyone should be happy for the clubs coming into 2018."

It is a problem, she says, that has affected just about every club in the competition over the years.

Boden says it's imperative for clubs to understand there can't be changes at the Magpies' end because the structures are already in place.

It's a tragedy, she says, that players who go on to accomplish higher honours will look back in regret on missing Maddison Trophy finals.