Whanganui RFU chief executive Bridget Belsham says the 12 Heartland unions have unanimously expressed their public support for the proposed Silver Lake partnership with NZ Rugby. Photo / File
Whanganui RFU chief executive Bridget Belsham says the 12 Heartland unions have unanimously expressed their public support for the proposed Silver Lake partnership with NZ Rugby. Photo / File
OPINION:
It is good to see the Whanganui Rugby Football Union coming out in support of the ultra lucrative $465 million investment offer to the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU).
All 12 of the Heartland unions have backed the offer from the Californian-based Silver Lake investment group which is seeking a 15 per cent stake in the NZRFU.
Silver Lake currently has US$104 billion of assets and included in the group's sporting stable are the likes of the mighty Manchester City English football club (valued at US$1.4b) and American ice hockey club New York Rangers ($1.6b) and baseball club New York Knicks (valued at over $1b).
There has been both support and reservations (from the NZ Players' Association plus a few ex-All Blacks) for the Silver Lake offer.
The NZRU is facing a deficit of around $40m, mainly because of the Covid-19 pandemic, at the upcoming annual meeting, which will eat into the union's cash assets estimated at $93m.
Thus the Silver Lake offer is like a blessing from Heaven and all 26 stakeholding provincial unions in the country should welcome the near half-billion dollar offer with open arms.
The unexpected boost in revenue will enable the NZRU to continue its annual financial grants to the various unions and there could even possibly be a one-off payment to enable the unions, many of whom suffered significant losses last season, to build up some reserves.
In a recent letter to the NZRFU, Whanganui RFU chief executive Bridget Belsham, who is also chairwoman-secretariat of NZ Heartland Rugby Unions, said the dozen unions unanimously express their public support for the proposed Silver Lake partnership with NZ Rugby.
"We believe it is time for our views to be heard because rugby for all our players and participants starts in our communities and Heartland Rugby is all about community rugby.
"The grassroots level of the game is the cornerstone of rugby in New Zealand and we see the Silver Lake partnership with NZ Rugby vital in ensuring community rugby survives.
"As custodians of the community game in their regions the Heartland provincial unions represent a significant number of clubs and schools. Funding is required to enable the important development pathways and participation programmes are available to support and grow the game in our regions.
"Rugby is facing immense challenges and investment into the community game must happen now. There are more than 150,000 rugby players in New Zealand and millions of fans.
"We believe this opportunity deserves our unconditional support and is required to secure the long term future of rugby in our country."
The letter has the full support of the Whanganui, Buller, East Coast, King Country, Horowhenua-Kapiti, Mid Canterbury, North Otago, Poverty Bay, South Canterbury, Thames Valley, Wairarapa-Bush and West Coast unions.
Domestic club clashes
Border, who played Taihape in last year's premier final, are out to defend their title this season. Photo / File
In addition to the Tasman Tanning Whanganui combined championship, the six participating clubs are also contesting sub-union titles and overall first round honours during the premier grade qualifying rounds.
Waverley Harvesting Border is defending the overall, Metropolitan and Grand Hotel Challenge Shield, Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau the Paul Mitchell Cup (and Grand Cafe and Eatery $500 voucher) first round title and Byford's Readi-Mix Taihape the Northern Whanganui championship.
All three games this weekend carry points for both union-wide and domestic honours – Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist against Kaierau at Spriggens Park and Waverley hosting Settlers Honey Ngamatapouri in the Metro sub-union series and Taihape at home to McCarthy Transport Ruapehu in the northern zone.
Since breaking an 11-year Ruapehu domination (2004-2014) in 2015, Taihape has shared the northern crown with the Ohakune-based club, each with three titles.
Taihape claimed only its third double success during the new millennium last season, winning 43-24 away and 26-17 at home.
The previous doubles were in 2001 (32-12 at Rochfort Park and 30-22 on Memorial Park) and 2016 (48-0 away and 33-17 home).
The highest margins were 68-0 at home in 2009 and 66-0 away a year later, both by Ruapehu.
In last year's first round encounter, visiting Taihape out-played the hosts seven tries to two including try braces to reps Dylan Gallien and Tyler Rogers Holden for the winners and Kahl Elers-Green and Takarangi Metekingi for the "Mountain Men".
There were two tries each from reps Dane Whale (Taihape) and Campbell Hart (Ruapehu) in the return match when each side scored three tries, Taihape winning 26-17 thanks to 18 points from Whale.
Kaierau deprived Border of claiming a clean sweep of premier titles last season by winning the Mitchell Cup on the strength of a 19-12 home victory.
The two clubs finished the first round with the same number of points with Kaierau's sole defeat 6-5 at home against Taihape on opening day in the lowest scoring match of the season, the hosts missing a gift conversion of the sole try.
Kaierau starts its defence of the Mitchell Cup against Marist on Saturday, chasing a fifth straight success against the Greens having won 17-7 last season and 35-31 in 2019 in the last two Park appearances.
Overall Kaierau is ahead 37 wins to 23 in games between the two clubs since 1996 including eight on the trot between 2003 and 2007 with a record 100-8 away romp in 2005.
Marist, which has finished fifth overall over the past two seasons, has a highest score 57-10 at home in 2000.
With an unbeaten record of seven wins since 2017, Border again looks too classy for near neighbours Ngamatapouri at Dallison Park.
Border had massive wins of 102-7 up the Waitotara Valley in 2018 and 90-0 at home last year. Last season Border scored 14 tries from 10 players in the runaway victory headed by a hat-trick from Tom Symes and two each by Vereniki Tikoisolomone and Angus Middleton.
Senior scene
The senior championship is into the third round with keen interest in fixtures at Spriggens and Memorial Parks.
City-rivals Ali Arc Logistics-DNA Kennels Marist Celtic and Black Bull Liquor Pirates meet with revamped Pirates out to vastly improve on last year's heavy 51-0 defeat.
The acquisition of a few very experienced former premier players makes the men in black a far stronger proposition than the 2020 tail-end squad that only won a single fixture, conceding 425 points at an average of 43 points an outing.
Championship runners-up Celtic had only 82 points against (average of 8.2) but will find the park neighbours a lot tougher this campaign.
Titleholders Harvey Round Motors Ratana has started well despite losing a dozen squad members, and travel to Taihape to play Utiku OB, the fourth ranked team in 2020 hell-bent on improving on improving on a 48-17 away loss when the teams last met.
It is the second of four successive away games for the champions.
In other senior matches on Saturday there are home venues for Border (v Gemini Pepper Construction Kaierau), McCrea Scanning Counties (v Marist Buffalo's), Bennett's Taihape (v Kelso Hunterville) and Speirs Food Marton (v Ruapehu).
