Rugby fans sign on for United stance

You still get some people saying that rugby and football folk don't get on but that's not true in Wairarapa, we are a tight-knit community here.Central League coach Phil Keinzley The plight of five Wairarapa United Central League football players whose residency in Wairarapa is under threat due to immigration hassles, has grabbed the attention of the whole sporting community.
So much so that Wairarapa-Bush rugby union officials invited their Wairarapa United counterparts to circulate a petition supporting the cause of Fijians Pita Rabo, Waisake Sabutu and Sakeo Valevou, Czech Miroslav Tvaroh and Seule Soromon, from Vanuatu, at the representative rugby match between Wairarapa-Bush and Wellington Samoans at Memorial Park on Saturday.
It was a gesture welcomed by Wairarapa United president - and Central League coach Phil Keinzley - who said it was another sign of Wairarapa sporting bodies helping one another.
"You still get some people saying that rugby and football folk don't get on but that's not true in Wairarapa.
"We are a tight-knit community here," he said. "Everybody enjoys each other's successes."
Keienzley said between the rugby and the Central League match at Hullena Park, in which Wairarapa United ended their 2010 season with a 4-2 win over Western Suburbs, the petition attracted more than 500 signatures, including those of the complete Western Suburbs squad.
"They are our arch-rivals but even so they appreciate what these guys and their families mean to us, not only for their footballing talents but for all the good things they have done away from the game," Keinzley said.
The number of signatures is sure to grow in the next few days too, with Keinzley already having had inquiries from people who are keen to take it around local business houses.
"One guy said he would canvass the supermarkets for us ... that's the sort of support we are getting," he said.
It is intended that the petition will be presented to Wairarapa MP John Hayes within two weeks.