Tasman Makos: News

Makos Need Public Support
30-Jul-2009

JOHN ALEXANDER - The Marlborough Express
The New Zealand Rugby Union's latest provincial competition revamp announced last week won't do anything to appease an already disgruntled section of supporters in the smaller unions, which once again face the prospect of relegation.

What it has done is stir up support in some areas of Marlborough and Nelson to go back to separate unions playing in division one (effectively the second division). Supporters of that move argue that Tasman was only formed to play in the premier division, and that is correct. However, a lot of pain and suffering has been endured by Tasman stakeholders, including losing ownership of Lansdowne Park plus being kicked out of the competition then reinstated, to get to the point where the union is at today.

Provincial rivalries have generally been put aside for the greater good. The player development, especially in Nelson, has been such that apart from one player, all of this season's Makos team played club rugby in the two provinces.

CEO Peter Barr and his board have the financial books in order at least to the point where the union is operating within budget. The number of sponsors has substantially increased and the team was good enough last season to finish seventh.

The player imbalance needs to be addressed, with just three from Marlborough club rugby in the team, but some of the fault there lies with the Marlborough-based players and a previous lack of development, which is being addressed by the Marlborough Rugby Sub-Union. There's no doubt the best available Tasman team has been selected, and through co-coach Kieran Keane, Marlborough's interests are well served.

It's amazing what a positive attitude can achieve. The Tasman players have certainly shown the way there. Now it's time for the supporters to turn out in big numbers and help the Makos make the top 10, both on and off the field.

One of the main reasons given for changing the successful three-division structure prior to 2006 was that the format wasn't financially sustainable. Well, it was a damn sight more sustainable than the current mess, caused in part by some unions having to spend big money on stadium upgrades.

A cynic would suggest they did that to make sure New Zealand's stadiums were brought up to scratch before the 2011 World Cup, but the 14-team Air New Zealand Cup experiment failed.

The new format is heavily slanted in favour of the big unions. How can you penalise a union like Tasman for having fewer people living and playing here than Canterbury or Wellington or Auckland? The only criteria a team should have to meet is on-field performance, player development and financial sustainability. The coffers shouldn't be topped up by the NZRU, apart from the standard annual grant to all unions. Natural attrition would prevail. If a union couldn't afford to play in premier division, they would opt out.

Ad Feedback How about having eight teams in premier division, six in second, with the Heartland competition retaining the status quo? That would provide three very competitive divisions, with automatic promotion-relegation in the first two.

One thing is for sure rugby supporters have had a gutsful of the NZRU tinkering with the provincial competitions.

All Makos supporters can do at this stage is turn up at the park, sending a message to the executioner that the country's newest union isn't going to the chair without a fight.