One local applicant for Heartland coaching job

Nine applications have been received for the position of selector-coach of the Wairarapa-Bush Heartland championship rugby team for the 2008 season.
The names of the applicants have not been made public but it is believed the only one from the Wairarapa-Bush region is Eketahuna's Graeme Cheetham, who coached last season's Heartland side in tandem with Lofty Stevenson.
But news that Stevenson had successfully applied for a coaching job in Germany next year led to the WBRFU re-advertising the role on the basis that the appointment of Cheetham and Stevenson had been made on a dual basis.
"We're very happy with the quality of the applicants."
WBRFU chief executive officer Phil Taylor said interest in the position had been received from both within and outside New Zealand and they would be short-listed and then interviewed before any final decision was made.
"We're very happy with the quality of the applicants and hopefully we can complete the process within a relatively short space of time," Taylor said.