Soccer: Rufers keep brotherly bond

By TERRY MADDAFORD

What a difference a day makes.

Less than 24 hours after telling Football Kingz bosses he would not play again this season if his older brother Shane was not appointed coach, Wynton Rufer has decided he will, after all, play under new coach Kevin Fallon.

But the younger Rufer has resigned from the Kingz board, citing a heavy commitment away from the playing field as the reason.

The club's owner, Sky Television, is expected to name a replacement because Rufer was one of its four appointees.

In announcing his decision to play out a third season with the club, Wynton Rufer said he "had definitely been guided by Shane's decision to stay on as Kevin's assistant."

Rufer said that when he returned to New Zealand almost five years ago, he did not intend playing.

"I never really did much," Rufer said. "But Chris Turner pushed for me to play. If I walked away now it would not be sending a good message to young players who have to learn to act as professionals."

Rufer said he had always enjoyed a good relationship with Fallon, but said it was not going to be easy playing in a team who had already had three coaches this season.

"I'm just there to help. We have to put aside our personal agendas."

Pressed further, Rufer said: "There are always spur-of-the-moment reactions - it [threatening to quit] was probably the wrong thing to say."

Asked whether he would "have walked" if Shane had, Rufer said: "He hasn't walked."

He was not sure how much training Fallon would expect from him because he had been on a personal programme under team fitness coach Darren Welch.

"It is something we have to look into."

Shane Rufer, who spent about four hours at a meeting with Fallon, Welch and coaching staff, said: "I know I can work with Kevin Fallon. It will be a great experience."

Fallon said he was going into his new job with an open mind.

"There will be no point in making huge changes. I want to see the players enjoying what they are doing. I want to see people laughing. They have the best job in the world, I want them to enjoy it."

On a more serious note, Fallon is keen to test the players' fitness and is likely to demand a 12-minute run before too long.