Tasman Makos: News

People Power Saves Makos

14-Dec-2009

John Alexander - Marlborough Express
People power as much as anything forced the New Zealand Rugby Union to scrap their four-team Air New Zealand Cup cull.

The announcement on Friday that the status quo of 14 teams will remain in the premier competition for 2010 was a victory for every one of the 15,000-plus who signed the Marlborough Express/Nelson Mail Save the Makos petition, the thousands who signed petitions in other parts of New Zealand, and the unions, including Tasman, who fought desperately to save their futures.

Tasman Makos co-coach Kieran Keane summed up the general delight and relief in Marlborough and Nelson Bays rugby circles.

"I'm just absolutely thrilled. Very pleased for Tasman and the two provinces, Marlborough and Nelson. Now it's time to roll up the sleeves and make the most of the opportunity."

Another key factor in the NZRU's about-face on the issue was that it had not sorted a deal on the original 10-6 premier and division one split format with the Players Association.

The current format will continue for 2010, but what happens after is still up in the air.

Reaction from players, fans and administrators towards the decision to retain the status quo next year were all positive in the Tasman region.

Makos prop Tristan Moran, from Blenheim, said: "It's a cracker. Finally they [NZRU] have made the right decision. Good for rugby all-round, throughout the whole of New Zealand.

"It wasn't nice, all the uncertainty. You are always thinking you could be out of a job in a month's time."

Fervent Makos supporter Graeme Rodger, from Rai Valley, who personally lobbied the NZRU as well as attending the Save the Makos rally and signing the petition, was over the moon.

"We did it. We are a democratic society. The people spoke and got the result they deserved.

"It is our game. The NZRU works for us not the other way around. That's proved by the amount of support the Save the Makos campaign got. It has proved rugby is about provincial people not about putting a 15th team in Super rugby to help Australia.

"Hallelujah. Go the mighty Makos."

Tasman board chairman Nick Patterson admitted Friday's decision was the best Christmas present he could have got.

"Delight and relief. It has justified all the hard work and effort we put in over 12 months on and off the field. It gives us a real focus now back on securing players and making sure we have a competitive team on the field and developing our funding operation and building on our sponsorship base."

Patterson said it was also crucial that the NZRU makes a decision on the long-term future of the premier competition quickly, within the next three to six months to give everyone some certainty. He said the Tasman union was open minded about what that format could be, but it remained strongly against the 10-6 split