Shortage casts cloud over future of colts

Whether a meaningful colts rugby grade will eventuate again in the Wairarapa-Bush region seems doubtful.
Just one club, Eketahuna, had sufficient numbers of under-21 players to field a colts side this season and the lack of opposition locally means they are playing their rugby in the Manawatu.
Most other clubs do, of course, have some players in that age group and they are part of their premier division or senior reserve sides where they often have to front up to opposition twice their age and experience.
Inquiries suggest there is little, or no, chance of enough colts teams being formed in the Wairarapa-Bush area in the foreseeable future for a worthwhile competition to be organised.
Club officials spoken to said it was simply a case of insufficient numbers with those playing rugby at secondary school _ and the numbers there have decreased sharply as well _ often moving out of the district or deciding to pursue other interests.
WBRFU development officer Gareth Waldron agrees the days of a colts competition being staged in Wairarapa-Bush are probably over. ''I don't want to sound pessimistic but right now it's difficult to see it happening,'' he said, adding Wairarapa-Bush were by no means the only union with the problem. ''It's something most sports are having to deal with. There are now so many choices for young men and women of that age and a lot of them are taking other options.''
Waldron remains keen, however, to build the number of colts teams in Wairarapa-Bush to at least three and he suggests that could be done by having all clubs combine their playing resources to form Barbarian-like squads who would then play in Manawatu.
''We do need to create an opportunity for players in this age group to perform at their own level but clubs would need to lend their support. Without that there's no chance,'' Waldron said.
Meanwhile, premier-division rugby matches continue in Wairarapa-Bush today with close finishes likely in most of them.
Masterton Red Star v Martinborough Memorial Park, 2.30pm:
With both teams third equal on the points table with 19 a win here will be crucial in their efforts to take out the Chris Kapene Memorial Trophy, which goes to the side leading the comp at the end of one full round of matches.
''Moose'' Kapene was a Martinborough stalwart and Martinborough would like nothing better than to have the trophy bearing his name in their clubrooms. The green-and-blacks have a rugged pack and and a backline with pace on the outsides and will fancy their chances against a Masterton Red Star side that is still to reach the levels of consistency that took them to the premier division title last year.
Masterton Red Star, for their part, will be hurting from their draw with Puketoi last weekend and Memorial Park has been a happy hunting ground for them over the past season or two. This one could go either way.
Pioneer v Marist Park Sportsground at 2.30pm:
Marist leads the points table with 22 and will be eyeing their battle with winless Pioneer as a royal opportunity to bank the maximum five points and retain their two-point buffer. There was an impressive gutsiness about the Marist last-ditch victory over Gladstone last weekend as their forwards took a thumping for a good part of proceedings yet they still finished the stronger of the two sides. Young backs Daniel Blong and Shannon Lewis will be looking at greatly enhancing their try tallies here.
Pioneer, still struggling in the back department, have had old hands Ben Fox and Ricky Reiri come out of retirement to help out.
East Coast v Puketoi Whareama at 2.30pm:
Normally you'd just write down the maximum five points for East Coast from this one but it would be a brave man who would do that this season. Puketoi have been something a revelation in recent weeks and are relishing the input of several new faces, most of them no-nonsense forwards who are going to make life difficult for any opposing pack, especially with the star of last year's Wairarapa-Bush Heartland side, No8 Duncan Law, back in harness. The Coasters have had an up-and-down season to date but when they play well they have the firepower in the outside backs to put away any opposing side. Their battle here will be to obtain enough quality possession up front for that to happen.
Carterton v Greytown Carterton at 2.30pm: Remember the clashes between these two sides in the good old days? It was pretty ruthless stuff but always entertaining.
Things have quietened down in more recent times but with both sides sitting midtable and desperate to enhance their position tomorrow's match should at least have an edge to it. Carterton are on a roll after something of a slow start and will be favourites but Greytown have enough individual brilliance at both back and forward to give any amount of cheek. Gladstone v Eketahuna Gladstone at 2.30pm:
The forward exchanges will be brutal with both sides chockful of packmen who enjoy nothing better than confronting the opposition toe-to-toe. Eketahuna sit second on the points table with 20 while Gladstone is back in eighth with 10 but it mightn't pay to assess their chances tomorrow on that basis alone.
Gladstone could count themselves unlucky not to have won against Marist last weekend and they will be hoping the goal-kicking woes they had then don't haunt them again. Eketahuna skipper Crete Cribb is very useful in that department and he might just be the key figure in what should be a hell of a game.