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Thousands of dollars of property and alcohol have been stolen from Rotorua’s oldest sports club in a “gut-wrenching” theft the club president says feels like a “kick in the guts”.
The club said it suspected two men scoped out the Whakarewarewa Community Sports Club earlier on the night of Thursday last week before returning just after 4am on Friday to steal about $10,000 of alcohol and property.
Suspected thieves inside the Whakarewarewa Community Sports Club early on Friday December 13.
Club president Marty Hatu said it was “gut-wrenching” that someone would steal from the club considering how much it strived to give back to the community.
Hatu said two men were caught on the club’s CCTV cameras scoping out the club before 8pm. They arrived in a silver late-model SUV-style vehicle with black mag wheels and parked in the club’s car park.
Two men seen at Whakarewarewa Community Sports Club before it was broken into overnight hours later. Photo / Supplied
They spent the following 45 minutes going around the club checking it out, Hatu said. One of the men had a distinctive black side bag with a white skull and crossbones on it. They wore hoodies and gloves.
Just after 4am the club was broken into. The two men, who Hatu said arrived in the same car as the earlier men, could be seen on CCTV footage stealing the various items.
Suspected thieves inside the Whakarewarewa Community Sports Club early on Friday December 13. Photo / Supplied
Hatu said the stolen items included an 85-inch television, a 15-inch Alto speaker, an Avanti bike, a cash register and a few thousands dollars worth of alcohol.
“We are probably at a loss of close to $10k worth of belongings and alcohol as we’d just stocked up our chiller for functions.”
Hatu said it was a “kick in the guts” to suffer such a setback after club members and its committee had worked hard to support the club which had seen an influx of youth and other members. He said that helped cover fees and registration costs and allowed the club to put on community events.
“You try and do good for the community and provide opportunities to people to be amazing and these f*****s take it upon themselves to rip us off. These guys knew what they were up to and were casual as about it. When they steal from us, they steal from our community, our kids and our iwi.”
Two men were seen at Whakarewarewa Community Sports Club before it was broken into overnight hours later. Photo / Supplied
A police spokesman confirmed a burglary report had been made and inquiries around the circumstances and items stolen were being investigated.
Whakarewarewa Community Sports Club was established in 1890 and has a strong relationship to Te Arawa hapū Tuhourangi Ngāti Wahiao. Sports at the club include premier rugby, junior rugby, netball, golf, softball, volleyball, 8 ball and fishing.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.
