RWC park shutdown railed

Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Supporters Club president Rod McKenzie is "absolutely livid" the week-long stay by Georgia during their 2011 World Cup campaign will mean Memorial Park is out of action for one month.

McKenzie can't fathom, for instance, why Wairarapa-Bush's Heartland championship games against Poverty Bay on September 10 and Horowhenua-Kapiti on September 17 have been transferred from Masterton to Carterton simply because Georgia will be using the region's rugby headquarters for training purposes from September 19 to 25.

"Quite honestly I think it stinks, after all they [Georgia] are only here to train, it's not like they are playing an actual game, " he said. McKenzie agrees the hosting of any of the World Cup sides is welcome news for the Wairarapa-Bush rugby fraternity but he believes that rather than have them doing all their training at Memorial Park the opportunity could have been taken to move them around the area, to places like Eketahuna and Pongaroa.

"Hell, if they had to have a ground all to themselves I would take the sheep out of one of my paddocks right now and they can spend the week at my property."

He emphasised his criticism was not aimed at local union officials who were simply following the wishes of the rugby hierarchy in Wellington.

"The big boys don't seem to care too much about what goes on in the provinces," he said.

WBRFU spokeswoman Debby Castles told the Times-Age World Cup organisers had a requisition plan for unions hosting World Cup teams which meant their main grounds would be closed for a period both before and after their arrival

This was to ensure the grounds were in top shape for training and the union's sponsorship signs could be removed and replaced by the various World Cup signs and logos, which then had to be removed before provincial matches resumed.

"We have a process to follow and that's what we will be doing," Castles said.