New Bush coach looms

Just who will be head coach of the Wairarapa-Bush Heartland championship rugby side in 2011 should be known on December 1.
That's the timeframe the WBRFU are working towards as they seek to replace Kelvin Tantrum, who is not offering himself for re-election after three seasons in the top job.
Applications for the position close today and while just three had been received by mid-morning yesterday, chief executive officer Phil Taylor was expecting that figure to to least double, based on the number of application forms sought both locally and from outside the region.
The curriculum vitaes of each applicant for the coaching job will be sent to a panel including two representatives of the NZRFU and two representatives of the WBRFU, along with one independent, and then they will interview those on a short list.
From there a recommendation as to who they see as the best candidate will be forwarded on to the full WBRFU board who will make the final decision.
Meanwhile, the NZRFU have confirmed that matches in the 2011 Heartland championship will take place during the Rugby World Cup.
They are seen as being part of the nationwide Real New Zealand Festival which offers overseas visitors and locals the opportunity to take part in events and activities which "celebrate all things New Zealand".
As a result next year's Heartland championship will take on a different format from previous years. It will consist of a modified round robin which will be played over eight weeks, with each team playing eight of the other teams in the competition.
The top four teams from round robin play will then play in the semi-finals for the Meads Cup and the next four teams on points will battle it out in the semi-finals for the Lochore Cup, the final of which was, of course won by Wairarapa-Bush this year.
That victory did not come without its share of hiccups though, with Wairarapa-Bush only making it to the semis after West Coast were stripped of five competition points through being found guilty of breaching the player eligibility regulations in their match with Wairarapa-Bush in Masterton on October 2.
West Coast won that fixture 35-30 but the Wairarapa-Bush union, acting on information received from an unnamed South Island source, complained to the NZRFU that one of their reserve front rowers, who was ineligible to be part of their squad, had been listed under the name of another player.
CEO Taylor said the complaint was made reluctantly because of the impact it could have on the Lochore Cup competition, but with all other sides abiding by the rules regarding eligibility, there was no alternative. "We checked everything out before we complained and it was clear they (West Coast) had wronged and the NZRFU backed us up on that."
History shows that once into the semis Wairarapa-Bush found their best form of the season, upsetting top seeds King Country there before travelling to Westport and beating Buller in the final.
Interestingly, not all of Wairarapa-Bush's home matches in their 2011 Heartland campaign will be played at Memorial Park with Carterton hosting the encounter with Poverty Bay on September 10 and also that with Horowhenua-Kapiti a week later.
The draw for Wairarapa-Bush up until the playoffs is:

August 6 v Thames Valley at Masterton, August 13 v Mid-Canterbury at Methven, August 20 v Buller at Masterton, August 27 v North Otago at Oamaru, September 3 v East Coast at Ruatoria, September 10 v Poverty Bay at Carterton, September 17 v Horowhenua-Kapiti at Carterton, September 24 v Wanganui at Wanganui.