Rugby: McDonald steps in to coach Tamatea

Adam McDonald

Former Hawke's Bay Sevens and Hawke's Bay B rugby coach Adam McDonald will coach the Tamatea premier rugby team next year.

Tamatea Rugby and Sports Club spokesman Paul Harris said the club is rapt to have secured McDonald's services.

"We've got Adam for a year and will see what happens after that."

This year's coach, Tane Cooper, will be an assistant coach to McDonald and will also play.

McDonald, who has coached in Portugal and China, finished a coaching stint with the Kazakhstan women's team in October last year. He provided some assistance to Cooper this year but missed the promotion-relegation game victory against Aotea.

Tamatea have recorded 44 consecutive losses in Maddison Trophy and Nash Cup games since a 2013 Maddison Trophy comp victory against Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports. However, they have won promotion-relegation games against Aotea in 2014 and this year.

"It's going to be a good challenge but something I want to give a go. I want to get Tamatea back on the right track," McDonald said.

A former Hastings Rugby and Sports premier team co-coach, McDonald, hopes to have Tamatea play at several Sevens tournaments during the summer in their pre-season programme.

Tamatea and Clive are the only clubs to announce their 2016 premier coaches. Last month the Clive club appointed Hawke's Bay Saracens coach Blair Cross as their head coach and former Magpies loosie Glenn Varcoe as his assistant.