Joss’ hopes pinned on favourable appeal

Ace flanker Joss Tua-Davidson will be "absolutely gutted" if a residency clause stops him being part of the Wairarapa-Bush Heartland championship rugby squad this season.
Tua-Davidson, 28, has been a star turn for Wairarapa-Bush in all six of their non-championship games, including the Ranfurly Shield challenge with Wellington, but a ruling from the NZRU is threatening to end, or at least severely curtail, his Heartland involvement.
As revealed in the Times-Age yesterday, what the NZRU has said is that because Tua-Davidson played his club rugby for Bush Sports in the Manawatu competition he cannot be regarded as a "local" player.
Which means in essence that if Wairarapa-Bush wants to play him in Heartland games he has to be registered as a "loan" player, three of whom can be played in any one Heartland match.
That action was completed yesterday by WBRFU officials with the support of the Manawatu union but whether it will mean Tua-Davidson actually appearing in any of the Heartland games cannot be guaranteed.
After all, Wairarapa-Bush had registered Wellington-based trio, Junior Togia, Siaosi Anamani and Nick Risdon, before Tua-Davidson's plight became known to them.
And the Wairarapa-Bush coaching staff make no secret all three of them are considered crucial elements in their backline for their Heartland campaign, which opens in Greymouth on Saturday with a tough assignment against West Coast.
The big hope for Tua-Davidson is that an appeal launched by the WBRFU yesterday with the NZRU over the decision re his residency qualifications receives a favourable hearing.
The appeal has been based around the fact that Bush Sports club is resident within the Wairarapa-Bush boundaries, that the WBRFU gave them permission to play in the Manawatu competition and that players from the same northern Wairarapa region are eligible to play for Wairarapa-Bush sides at age group levels.
Tua-Davidson, who captains Bush Sports, told the Times-Age yesterday he was "very disappointed" his residential qualifications had come into the equation after he had already played half-a-dozen games for the Wairarapa-Bush union.
He runs his own building business in Pahiatua and has already taken considerable time off for training and playing purposes, time which will count for nothing should further involvement with the side be curtailed.
Not that Tua-Davidson is complaining for he has "enjoyed every minute" of participating in matches at the higher level, and with a Wairarapa-Bush squad which he believes is hitting its straps at the right time.
"It's taken a while but we are now starting to gel as a team and I think we will surprise a few in the Heartland games" Tua-Davidson said.
"The good thing is that everybody is on the same wave length, we understand we have to work as a team and not a group of individuals. There's plenty of talent there, don't worry about that."