Rugby: Union says no to Hurricanes-Kings game

Dennis Rosser.

The Hawke's Bay Rugby Union turned down an opportunity to host a Hurricanes game against the Southern Kings at Napier's McLean Park on Good Friday.

"We stressed to the Hurricanes we didn't want to host games Wellington didn't want. We only want to host New Zealand derby Super games like the Hurricanes-Highlanders clash we hosted last year," union CEO Mike Bishop told last night's 131st annual meeting of the union in Napier.

He was replying to Tamatea's union delegate Dennis Rosser who was surprised the union had decided against hosting the Canes for a second consecutive season. The Canes will host the South African minnows at Westpac Stadium in the capital.

Yesterday former Magpie Hilton Meech expressed concern in a letter to the Hawke's Bay Today editor about the Hawke's Bay union turning down a match between the Hurricanes and the Force, which will be played in Palmerston North on March 18. Meech understood the union opted out of the fixture because the profit margin was too small despite the Napier City Council favouring the hosting of the match.

He sounded out the Manawatu union on the matter and Turbos officials told him the most important issue for them was the rugby public having the opportunity to see All Blacks and Hurricanes in action against former, current and future Wallabies.

"The small profit approach being outweighed by the attendance and promotion of the game of rugby and the access of our youngsters to meeting their heroes and seeing them in action," Meech wrote.

"This has, no doubt, led to some signing up to play for their local club of choice and therefore keeping our national game in the front for New Zealanders, and alive and well in provincial New Zealand," he continued.

"For the Manawatu sponsors and local businesses and their union, they made a profit in support of the game. In other words, the whole rugby community at large benefited, as did the city of Palmerston North, and that is the greatest profit of all!"

Meech hoped the Hawke's Bay union's decision won't cost it the opportunity to host an All Blacks game in the future. Napier's McLean Park last hosted a test in 2014 and this was the first since 1996.

"For us in Hawke's Bay we missed out again - for the NZRU it may be the catalyst for not involving us in hosting an ABs game. Who pays?" Meech asked.

There will still be plenty of rugby in Hawke's Bay on Good Friday as that is the day for the first round of Hawke's Bay's Nash Cup premier club competition. All games have been scheduled for Good Friday which will allow players to have the rest of Easter Weekend free.

The club season will end with the Maddison Trophy final on August 13. Taradale are the defending champions in the Nash Cup and Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports hold the Maddison Trophy. Taradale are also the Pratt Trophy holders and the Town-Country competition champions. Aotea will attempt to retain the Arthur Bowman Cup in division two.