TVNZ staff will learn their fate as job cut meetings loom, a warning as the Government looks at our gun laws and weather warnings in place. Video / NZ Herald / Getty
Tamatea Rugby Club games scheduled at its home ground of Bill Mathewson Park in Hastings will instead be played at a more secure field in Napier after an incident in which a van full of visiting rugby players was shot at in Hastings on Saturday.
The van was attacked after a match between Tamatea and the Young Māori Players (YMP) that was abandoned because of safety concerns.
YMP coach Guy Taylor with the van he was driving when it was shot at after the game on Saturday. Photo / Supplied
A photo of the van, showing almost 50 holes in its back window and denting around the top back left corner, was shared with Hawke’s Bay Today on Sunday morning.
Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union chief executive Jay Campbell said in a statement that Hawke’s Bay Rugby had decided to suspend all Tamatea Rugby Club games scheduled for Bill Mathewson Park with immediate effect, after reviewing evidence from all parties involved in the weekend incident.
“These games will instead be transferred to and played at Tremain Field Napier, where police and security can manage the entrance and ground control can be adequately delivered,” the statement said.
“Hawke’s Bay Rugby confirmed that the safety of its volunteers, officials, players, their whānau and spectators is paramount and therefore the scheduling of games at Tremain Field for the foreseeable future is the best way to ensure this can occur.”
Hawke’s Bay Rugby said it would continue to work with both Tamatea Rugby and YMP to “get rugby played in front of their communities as quickly as possible”.
YMP coach Guy Taylor said any measure that made for a safer environment was good for rugby.
Tremain Field at Park Island, Napier, will replace Bill Mathewson Park in Hastings as the venue for upcoming Tamatea games, effective immediately. Photo / Warren Buckland
Tamatea Rugby and Sports Club president Stuart Whyte, who said Tamatea supporters were not connected with the incident, said in a statement that Tamatea Rugby and Sports Club Inc. did not condone or support violence on or off the field.
“Given the events that confronted both clubs and the Mayfair community at a Senior 3 game on Saturday 6th April between Tamatea and YMP from Raupunga, we thank the Eastern Central Police for their quick response. Their presence greatly assisted the safety of the players who were there to play the game and the supporters who were there to watch a game of rugby. NZ Police have an ongoing investigation into the incident, and to this end we are cooperating fully with their enquiries,” the statement said.
“We would also like to thank the referee, players and club supporters whose actions de-escalated the situation within the park with timely intervention until the Police arrived.”
“The club is taking steps to immediately review our systems and operations pertaining to the health and wellbeing of all whanau who wish to attend, play, or support sporting fixtures we host. The review will include an in-depth analysis of our game day protocols and safety measures required to enable a positive experience for all involved.”
Denis O'Reilly said a van carrying rugby league players was shot at in October while on its way to Raupunga for a Black Power inter-club challenge match. Photo / Denis O'Reilly
A police spokesman said they were aware of the incident, and the investigation remains open with no arrests so far.
“Police are aware of a similar incident that occurred on State Highway 2 between Napier and Tutira on 21 October last year, where a van carrying a rugby league team was shot at,” the spokesman said.
Police said they were following “strong” lines of inquiry for Saturday’s incident, which started at Bill Mathewson Park in Hastings. Photo / Connull Lang
“The vehicle was examined at the time. No injuries were reported. Police had an increased visible presence around the Raupunga area and State Highway 2 at the time to ensure people were safe and reassure the public.”
Police said they were following “strong” lines of inquiry for Saturday’s incident, and that the holes in the YMP van were probably caused by one or two shotgun blasts.
James Pocock joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2021 and writes breaking news and features, with a focus on environment, local government and post-cyclone issues in the region. He has a keen interest in finding the bigger picture in research and making it more accessible to audiences. He lives in Napier. james.pocock@nzme.co.nz
Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and has a love for sharing stories about farming and rural communities.
