Marlborough and Nelson set to join forces

Marlborough's rugby stakeholders showed unanimous support for the region's bid to join Nelson Bays in a joint venture aimed at claiming a place in the 2006 NPC premier division competition.

At a special meeting at Landsdowne Park in Blenheim last night club delegates, life members and affiliates were united in favour of the two remits presented by Marlborough Rugby Union chairman Graeme Boon.

The remits authorise the combined Marlborough-Nelson Bays working party to submit an application to the New Zealand Rugby Union for inclusion in the premier competition. This must be in by next Thursday.

Other key points of the remits include transferring the assets and liabilities of both unions to a new combined Nelson-Marlborough Rugby Union under a new constitution.

Nelson Bays union officials will take the same remits to their stakeholders on Tuesday and indications are that the vote will be similar.

Forty-nine people attended last night's meeting and there were no dissenting voice.

"I think our bid will be very compelling and hard for the NZRU to ignore," Marlborough Rugby Union chief executive Paul Nisbet said.

The biggest challenge for the two unions has been the need to upgrade both Trafalgar Park in Nelson and Lansdowne Park in Blenheim.

The latest estimate for the Lansdowne Park upgrade is $1.9 million. This is mainly for upgrading the lights, building a new 800-seat stand and other seating on the western side of the park and improving changing room and media facilities.

Nisbet is confident the money will be raised.

The new premier team's annual budget is about $2.5 million.

Nisbet believed the Marlborough-Nelson Bays bid would be one of five chasing three places in the premier division.

He believed Counties, Manawatu, Hawke's Bay and a first division union he would not name were also in the mix.

Over the next few days Marlborough rugby officials will be working on an application to play in the lower amateur division in case their bid for premier grade is unsuccessful.

Every province must submit an application to play in the 2006 NPC.

- NZPA