KEY POINTS:
Fired Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby coach Brendon Ratcliffe is fighting back and seeking reinstatement for next year.
Ratcliffe, whose Kelt Capital Magpies coaching contract was terminated by the Hawke's Bay Rugby Football Union on Monday despite having a year remaining, said this morning he had filed papers with the Employment Relations Authority yesterday, seeking an order for reinstatement as head coach for 2007.
"This decision has not been taken lightly. But I really believe it's important I make a commitment to a process where the facts will come out and those facts will point to accountability," Ratcliffe said.
"The facts are in 2004 I was appointed to a one- year contract and after a full review at the end of the 2005 season, based on results, I was appointed to a two-year fixed-term contract through to the end of November 2007," he said, referring to the fact he coached the Magpies to the NPC second division title with an unbeaten run in 2005.
"All I'm asking for is the honouring of a contract and an agreement," Ratcliffe said.
This year, Ratcliffe had a performance- related agreement with the union's board and CEO Mike Bishop which stated the Magpies must achieve a 10th placing or better in the inaugural Air New Zealand Cup.
For the previous 12 years the Magpies had not been able improve on a national ranking of 11th.
"We finished the season eighth-equal on points but officially, under the competition format, in ninth place," he said.
"This was achieved without any Super 14 players and 80 per cent of our team were new to playing at this level. We felt this was a solid first year and it provided us with a good base to launch our attack on 2007," Ratcliffe said.
"For the past seven weeks all my energy and focus has been on fighting for survival, where it could have gone into setting the team up for the 2007 campaign ... and that's a sad thing."
He added he had been inundated with messages of support from Magpies supporters throughout the province and fellow Air New Zealand Cup coaches. Because of the process Ratcliffe has undertaken, he declined to give the reasons for his job termination.
Union chairman Richard Hunt also refused to comment on the reasons when announcing Ratcliffe's sacking on Monday.
This morning Hunt declined an invitation to comment further on the matter.
- HAWKES BAY TODAY
