New coach has impressive CV

PRIORITY: Joshua Syms, not relying on imports. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Union have appointed a new head coach for their 2015 Heartland Championship team.

Wellington school teacher Joshua Syms, who is taking over the role held by Mark Rutene for the past four seasons, has a strong playing and coaching background in the game. And he also has close connections to Wairarapa with his wife's family living at Mangamaire.

Syms, who teaches at Wellington College, is an ex-pupil of Palmerston North Boys' High. He represented Manawatu and Bay of Plenty in rugby, played provincial cricket at senior and age group levels and also starred in athletics.

Syms started his rugby coaching career in 2007. He has coached Hutt Old Boys teams to several club championship wins in Wellington and was also in charge of St Kentigern when they won the Auckland secondary schools championship. That team featured several players who have gone on to have successful professional careers.

The coaching CV of Syms also includes stints as New Zealand Barbarians secondary schools coach and Thailand sevens coach and in 2013 he took up the position of technical analyst for the Southland Stags before returning to Wellington to continue his teaching and professional career.

A press release from the WBRU says Syms - whose father Dave was a longtime Auckland hooker - provided the Heartland coach selection panel with clear plans for the union, including the formation of a management team, encouraging communication and contribution from clubs and the setting up of development pathways for players through to the Heartland team, and national honours.

"Joshua is particularly keen to make sure Wairarapa-Bush over the next few seasons is not reliant on imports and the ultimate goal is to have a team of locals with the possibility of one or two origin players," the release said.

"The panel was impressed with his plans to ensure that all the clubs and the rugby community were part of the overall strategy to take Trust House Wairarapa-Bush to the next level."

Syms will start his head coach role from January 1.

Meanwhile the Wairarapa-Bush men's sevens team qualified to play at the national sevens tournament in Rotorua in January when they made the semifinals of the central region sevens in Palmerston North on Saturday.

In pool matches Wairarapa-Bush upset Manawatu 15-7 and led Hawke's Bay 17-0 before losing 21-17. In the first of the cross-over games they beat Poverty Bay 24-19 and that took them into the semifinals where they were beaten 43-0 by eventual champions Taranaki. They then lost to Wellington 19-10 in the playoff for third and fourth.

Coached by Eli Telford the Wairarapa-Bush squad consisted of Rima Marurai, Sam Monaghan, Nick Robertson, Inia Katia, Corey McFadzean, Tavita Isaac, Daryl Pickering, Nathan Hunt, Josh Hunt, Raymond Oakley, Rodney Kjestrup and Taylor Fenwick.

The Wairarapa-Bush women's sevens team also contested the central region tourney. They lost 55-0 to Manawatu, 52-0 to Wellington and 54-0 to Taranaki in pool games and then lost 38-7 to Taranaki in the playoff for third and fourth. Joseph Dahlberg and Willy Harmon coached the Wairarapa-Bush women's side and players were Monique Kloeg, Hera Edwards, Cheyenne Ngerengere, Karyn Robinson, Kate McGovern, Darian Walker, Sita Karuyabaki, Trisanna Campbell, Laura Gavin, Severa Masoe, Paige Walker and Amy Sutherland.