Memorial Park may become 'stadium'

WORLD CLASS: Memorial Park is subject of a possible name change.PHOTO/FILE

MEMORIAL Park in Masterton could be about to become Memorial Stadium.

The change of name for the headquarters of the Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Union and the Wairarapa United AFC has been proposed by the Wairarapa Multi Sports Stadium Trust and will be put to a full meeting of the Masterton District Council tomorrow.

The WMSST says the change was being mooted to reflect the number of sports and community events which now operated out of the venue. It felt the word "stadium" gave a community view of a facility which was world class and had the ability to host top national events, and that the $2.1 million investment to date was worthy of such a change in status.

Council will also be asked to support WMSST's intention to market the venue and seek a naming sponsor, all monies received from which will go to the turf depreciation fund.

Meanwhile, Wairarapa-Bush head coach Josh Syms isn't concerning himself with all the permutations about how his team could make it into the Meads Cup semifinals of the 2015 Heartland rugby championship.

Seven teams are still well in the reckoning to play off for the major trophy with two series of preliminary round games remaining to be played and Wairarapa-Bush is very much one of them. They lie fifth-equal with Horowhenua-Kapiti on 17 points. Ahead of them are Mid-Canterbury (27), South Canterbury (25), Wanganui (23) and North Otago (18) and just a solitary point behind them are West Coast on 16 points.

Rather than carefully analyse the draw for the next two weeks to judge his team's prospects of making it into the all important top four, the Syms focus is wholly and solely on Wairarapa-Bush beating East Coast at Ruatoria and Wanganui at Masterton over the next fortnight and then seeing where the cards fall.

"We don't really want to get caught up in all the talk about who has to beat who. That's a distraction we don't need " Syms said.

"We have two big games coming up and we want to win them both, it's as simple as that."

The form book certainly says Wairarapa-Bush should return from Ruatoria with at least four more points in the bag.

East Coast have yet to record a win in their six Heartland games and have been on the end of some hefty defeats.

They kicked off with a 15-60 loss to near neighbours Poverty Bay before being beaten by South Canterbury (5-57), Thames Valley (11-50), Horowhenua-Kapiti (20-24), Mid-Canterbury (32-50) and West Coast (10-22).

Syms, however, is quick to warn against taking anything for granted and says the significant improvement East Coast have made in their past three games suggests they will be difficult opponents, especially on their home turf.

"It's their last chance to get a win at home this season and you can bet they'll throw everything they can at us," Syms said.

"We can't afford to think it will be easy, no way."

Syms and assistant coach Wayne Roache won't be naming their starting line-up until later in the week but the odds are it will vary little, if at all, from that which initially took the field in the 33-19 beating of Horowhenua at Memorial Park on Saturday.

For all-round effort that was probably Wairarapa-Bush's best performance of the season with the hard grind of the forwards up front being complemented by some smart play in the backs.