RUGBY - North storms throw Morgan rugby fixtures into confusion

By Sports Editor Tim Eves
Suddenly the battle to decide who might host what and when as the fight to win the Joe Morgan Memorial premier club rugby trophy isn't an issue worth arguing about.
Half the players involved in the championship semifinals tomorrow are understandably more concerned with saving their farms from complete devastation in the wake of the second 100-year storm in the same rugby season.
Mid Northern play Hikurangi in one semifinal tomorrow and Waipu meet Wellsford in the other. As a slice of rural life, there aren't many clubs more country than Waipu, Mid Northern and Hikurangi.
The thing is, the rain hasn't just thrown an element of confusion into the mix for the semifinals tomorrow: It has forced the Northland Rugby Union to close Okara Park for the next three weeks.
So whoever wins tomorrow will also be in the running to host the final next weekend as well.
Not that the sturdy Mid Northern rugby folk could afford the luxury of thinking as far ahead as a possible appearance on home turf in the final though, because as of last night the club was still without power and most of the team hauling out livestock from flooded paddocks anyway.
If their power supply fails to spark up again by tomorrow, Mid Northern will even loose the chance to host the semifinal against Hikurangi.
NRU operations manager Greg Shipton said the floods were proving to be devastating for everyone concerned and put club rugby planning on hold and well down the list of priorities.
"We have been told that it might not be until Sunday that Mid Northern will get power, so if that is the case then the semifinal against Hikurangi will be played at Hikurangi," Shipton said.
The problems at Okara Park were potentially serious too, with evidence that the drainage system there had failed and was in dire need of maintenance.
"We are trying to get someone in to try and dig it up and see what is going on. The surface itself is good, but when it rains the water is just sitting there, creating a slush," he said.
By closing Okara Park until the start of the Air NZ Cup on July 28, Shipton hoped to at least have a short-term remedy in place. In the meantime the Joe Morgan Memorial club final and two Bartercard Cup rugby league fixtures have been moved elsewhere.
The club rugby show will go on, though, with two feisty encounters expected.
Wellsford will be up against it when they host Waipu, especially on a wet track, as their main attacking force comes in the form of midfield back Sione Tuitavake and winger Joejoe Ranger.
Waipu have a formidable forward pack which will revel in the mud.
Mid Northern have been using veteran Brad Miller at first five eighths and have a classy backline with Derek Carpenter and Dana Young included but will rely on their forwards, led by lock Kyran Pita, to get an edge.
Hikurangi will be well under-strength, as they have supplied a bevy of players to the Northland cause, but still have loose forward Brad Christensen on deck along with formidable flanker Aaron Wright.
The promotion-relegation match between Mid Western and Marist has been postponed until July 21 and the premier reserve semifinal tomorrow between Hora Hora and Waipu will be played at Mid Western at 12.30pm.