'Huge' investment in Wairarapa United

Wairarapa United has a budget of $91,000 to allow for eight teams to represent them in Capital Soccer inter-club competitions in Wellington over the 2008 season.
While their premier division men's side will be their flagship Wairarapa United will also field a senior seconds team and six age group sides, 10yrs, 11yrs, 12yrs, 13yrs, 14yrs and 19yrs, with the number of individual players involved being around the 130 mark.
"It's a huge investment in Wairarapa soccer, probably the biggest ever," Wairarapa United premier division coach Phil Keinzley said. "To have eight teams playing at such a high level all in the one season is a big ask but we'll do it."
Keinzley said the money needed to fund the teams was being raised through a mix of sponsorship, subscriptions, charitable trust donations and general fund raising
activities.
"We've been absolutely delighted with the support from within the Wairarapa community, it's a good feeling to know that soccer is appreciated to that extent," he said.
Each of the Wairarapa United sides are expected to play at least 18 games with half of them being staged at home.
For the Horse and Hound-sponsored Wairarapa United premier division squad this Saturday is the start of pre-season matches.They are participating in the annual Hilton Petone tourney and their first opponent is Palmerston North Red Sox, a team which just failed to earn promotion to the central league last season.
Keinzley is delighted Wairarapa United have drawn such a formidable opponent for their opening game as he is still in the process of finalising his team and the harder the opposition the greater the chance to see which players were capable of measuring up at premier division level.
"Games like this tend to show up any weaknesses and that's what we need to happen," he said.
Making their first appearances for Wairarapa United will be two of their latest recruits, Fijian international Waisake Sabutu and Seule Soromon, who has played for Vanuatu.