Whanganui club rugby: Counties look to build after breaking their season duck

The 2019 50th Jubilee season for Counties was a good vintage with the club making the Top 4.

It had been a long time between victory drinks, but the beer flowed for the country boys from Kaiwhaiki after McCrea Scanning Counties became the last Tasman Tanning Team to break their 2021 duck on Saturday.

Back down in Whanganui, fellow winless side Speirs Food Marton knew by the final few minutes they were safe with a 31-16 lead over Marist Buffalos, but at Rochfort Park,
Counties had to hang on grimly right to the death for 16-12 against the Ruapehu Seniors.

"Very good for them that we actually got the win. The morale, they're just on a high because we haven't had a win for a long time," said manager Johnny Butson.

It was Counties' first victory since August 29 of last year, when they beat Bennett's Taihape 22-19 in Kaiwhaiki.

The club had been on an upward trajectory at the end of the 2010s – qualifying for the championship Top 6 group in 2018 and finishing that season as Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield holders.

Their 2019 50th jubilee year was even better – making the Top 4 to qualify for the six-team Division 2 grade, while having enough extra players to form a Counties Brothers XV to carry on in Division 3.

But 2020 brought personnel changes and saw the club drop back down the table with a 2-2-6 record, while the first half of 2021 was marked by big defeats to Black Bull Liquor Pirates (19-0), Utiku Old Boys (43-3), Ali Arc Logistics-DNA Kennels Marist Celtic (40-0), Gemini Pepper Construction Kaierau (29-5) and Taihape (20-0).

"We've been rebuilding, and this year we've got a lot of young fellas come in in the forwards that haven't really played there before," said Butson.

"A lot of it is technical, because they haven't played there. They say, 'aw, I want to play there', but we're still sort of teaching them.

"We've got a lot of front rowers that have only just turned 21. But they do well, and we're very proud of them.

"Even the backline, got a lot of young ones there, but they're happy to stay so I think it's good for us.

"We've had a few hidings, our first three or four games have been 40-pointers, but we're getting 22 to trainings, our away games are getting 26 players turn up."

While it's time to rebuild, the club culture out at Kaiwhaiki remains strong – the supporters still drive their trucks up beside the sidelines on Saturday afternoons.

"We're still getting them all, it's good old grass-roots rugby," said Butson.

"It is dying in places, but in Whanganui I think it's brilliant – you go to Kaierau, the same thing happens there, they have [the supporters ] up there, and Border. It's good to see."

The side is coached by Richard Shaw and the captain is Matthew Horrocks – brother of King Country representative Michael and cousin of Steelform Whanganui's halfback Lindsay.

Counties will have big test of their new-found confidence this Saturday against Kelso Hunterville.

The Senior draw is:
May 28, 7pm: Kaierau vs Marton, Country Club. May 29, 1pm kickoffs (times subject to change): Hunterville vs Counties, Hunterville; Ratana vs Buffalos, Ratana Pa; Taihape vs Celtic, Memorial Park 1; Utiku Old Boys vs Border, Memorial Park 2; Pirates vs Ruapehu, Spriggens Park.