Together Everyone Achieves More TEAM CARTERTON June Newsletter 2015 PAST PLAYERS/MEMBERS REMEMBER THIS GUY

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HE PLAYED FOR CARTERTON

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MAROON MEMBERS Doug and Barbara MacPhail, Graham Falconer, Elaine and Brent Hibbard, Keith and Margaret Parker, June Pinfold, Garry Smith , David Wills, Jeff and Katie Yates, Steve Hurley, Peter and Jenny Giddens, Blaine and Sarah Smith, Dame Margaret Bazley, Bernard and Fiona Scott, Barry Allen and Diane Edwards, Ian Renall QSM, Robyn Cherry-Campbell and Mick Campbell, Rex and Barbara Playle, Grant and Heather Smith., Bernard and Christine Cleary, Richard Epplett, Ron Mark M.P. and Chris Tracey, Jocelyn McKernan, Maryanne and Ryan Monastra, Jeff and Leanne Jones, Duncan Fletcher, Craig Edwards and Chubb Lett, Richard Epplett

RECENT OBITUARIES GOOD NEWS

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From the editor As I put pen to paper in this June issue of our Newsletter, I am coming to terms with the fact that the season will be nearly over when you get this copy. We only have 8 teams in the Union and this severely restricts our season, playing wise. The simple fact is we just don’t have the players in our area that want to play senior rugby. This is not peculiar to FRONT COVER Carterton; it is all teams in the Wairarapa.HEMI The 3rds. on the other hand, have a lot of players as these are guys that wish TAYOR PLAYING AGAINST SCOTLAND to keep playing/socialising but only on an ad hoc basis. The rules of the 3rd grade, up until the finals, allows this to happen and for example we had 35 at training for the 3rds the other night. Our season , to date, been one of frustration with so many games we should have won. We look so good running out but some occasional lapses have let us down badly; apart from the game against Marist. Marist were tipped to be one of the front runners for the title and coverage of that is listed a little later. The inclusion of our overseas player Andy Humblestone has been a great injection for our team. He appears to be quite a respectable goal kicker. From a player perspective, we were “pinged” for playing an under age player in our 3rds last year which received the appropriate penalties for doing so. We now know that 3 other clubs have been “pinged” this year and, at the time of going to press, I do not know what penalties have been put in place. It has to be a level playing field so they must get at least what we received. Lyndon Beale, our the Council of Clubs man, is onto it so hopefully we can let you know what happens there. It is mainly in the 3rds so there is no real excuses as they all have plenty of players. We generalise “watch this space”. When I compare some of the rugby played this year it is noticeable that the grounds have been quite good to firm which is quite a change from 2014 as you can see underneath. This has allowed all teams to play running rugby and I felt that the pace of the game has lifted but I suppose that co-relates to the ground conditions. If you were to sum it up right now you would have to say the our back three are good players but they lack the 80 minute effort (fitness?). You need to be fully fit and last that 80 minutes to support the pace of the game today. Last couple of years

This year

In saying that I mention a little later that our 3rds had a game on the turf at Trust House Memorial Park and reported aches and pains all over the place. While they are not the fittest it does show the difference between the standard grounds and synthetic surfaces. Talking of players, as you will read further on, after talking with Warren Cadwallader I did some historical research on family connections. I discovered that the Hurley family have an exceptional association with Carterton Rugby Football Club details of which are listed a little further on. LIFE MEMBERS TRUST As you are aware I am Chair of the Life Member’s Trust having been re-elected, firstly to the Board on Dec 14, and subsequently as Chair for the ensuing two years. It was further moved at that AGM that the Board increase to four Trustees and Rex Playle was duly elected. This change has meant that there needs to be some cosmetic changes to our Trust Deed which , as it is not urgent, will be finalised at this years AGM in Dec. unless you the members decide otherwise. The main change will be that the Board will consist of four Trustees with two retiring each year by way of rotation. The Trustees decided therefore that Barry and Garry would retire and stand for re-election in 2015 and Rex and Lionel would retire and repeat the motion in 2016 AGM. I am pleased to report that the Trust, itself, is in a very healthy financial position for a Club our size. We have built our consolidated fund up to just over $220k and during this period of consolidation we have made grants to the JAB and the Club of $55k. A very sound and handy amount for the club in general. If you have any questions in relation to the trust please approach anyone of the Trustees (Garry, Barry, Rex or myself). 3

Editorial continues Must close now and off to the printer. The season will be over if I am able to put another newsletter out. So, reflecting on the year to date is a positive one. We have a new committee which has settled well and done a good job inclusive of new rules and by laws and financially. The JAB got a real shot in the arm from WBS and Neil was the perfect man to co-ordinate that. On the rugby front Zeb had his first year as coach and let’s hope Higgy and his team can win the 3 rd grade. They are well on the way to achieving that. They have the skills; it is a matter of them applying them. Zeb came in with youthful, fresh ideas with the total support of the Management committee. Those ideas are now starting to come to fruition for which Zeb should take pride. His desire was to play, his style, of open more decisive rugby. This was his destiny and it is not or was not a matter of chance. The opportunity was presented to him and he has to accept that yesterday is history, today is the opportunity gifted which makes tomorrow a further challenge which motivates us all. He has some very talented players not forgetting his advisors and assistants. As Sir Edmond Hillary said “It is not the mountain we conquer, it is ourselves”. I trust you have enjoyed the games that you have watched this year, to date, and thanks from the overall Management committee for your continued financial support. I further trust therefore that you have enjoyed the newsletters, to date, and if I can procure enough info then I will put one out post season. In the meantime we hope you can take time out and come and watch/support our players in the last home games which are listed on the last page of this newsletter. Look after and keep smiling

Lionel PRESIDENTS MESSAGE It’s hard to believe that we are past the halfway point in our rugby season. All in all I am quite happy with the progress we have made as a club even though some of that progress may not become apparent until next year. We are currently working on our website upgrade and thanks to Neil Rodger we have been able to acquire some awesome club gear for members to order. The Premiers have definitely made progress as a team with the highlight being a magnificent win over one of the top teams, Marist (39-17). The quality of play was matched by the wide smiles on the faces of their loyal supporters who proudly marched into the Marist clubrooms. I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome Francis Muller (Tonga) to our club. The Reserves are continuing to play above their station and recently played the top teams in consecutive weeks with a loss to Pioneer followed by a win over the Masterton Rams (24-17). The great thing is that Higgy has developed some genuine talent that would not go a miss in the premiers Team. The JAB continue to impress and I’m very pleased to hear that we are in the process of formalising a database so that we can keep in touch with these kids when they leave us for secondary school. Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to update you with regard to the sale of our grounds. The first thing I need to do is settle the rumour machine and confirm that the grounds have not been sold nor is there any discussions going on with any developers. Now that is settled I can update you on an important initiative that we are involved with. We have been asked to be part of the Carterton Community Sports & Leisure Trust and we are represented by Garry Smith, Jeff Jones, Gavin Hodder and myself. The aim of the Trust is to build a multi sport complex in Carterton involving rugby, soccer, squash, tennis, netball, athletics, swimming, badminton, croquet and including the RSA. The project is in the early planning stage at present with an application to be included in the Carterton District Council long term plan. If the outcome of this is successful then we will call a meeting to update and inform our financial members. Once again, it is important to re-iterate to our members that this project does have considerable merit and is only in the discussions stages. Once there is something concrete to put in front of you all we will call a meeting. You have to remember that we are only your ambassadors and the decisions for the long term of this project will ultimately require your sanction. So until we get to that stage we will continue meeting with the Trust and keep you informed as best we can. I further endorse, without escalating the matter too much, that the land is not up for sale and we are not talking to anyone in that regard. Developing our club is our priority. I hope you are all enjoying your rugby and GO THE HURRICANES.

Esteemed member bursts into print Alan “Fanta” Reeve wrote to the editor of the Times Age on May 27 th. You will have to ask him how he got the nick name “Fanta” next time you are talking to him. The editor duly accepted his letter and printed it under the banner “Selfish Loyalty in rugby points system” For your benefit I reprint his letter To my understanding all first round rugby competition points are to be carried over into the second round. With the top four sides playing in a semi-final, final format. This effectively rules out the bottom three teams of any chance of gaining a place in the top four. What a joke. This system is a sure fire way to destroy what could be an exciting conclusion to club rugby. As a supporter of one of the bottom four teams, I might as well finish the season now and support another code where there is a true competition. I suspect this appalling decision was put in place by the Council of Clubs. To those on that committee please forget your selfish loyalties and try and work for the overall benefit of Wairarapa Club Rugby. 4

Esteemed member letter continues The Council of clubs was the original group that organised and ran Wairarapa Bush rugby totally. In 2002 there was a change in that a Board of Directors was elected to take that function over and come of age as far as a Union was concerned. I was on that original Board and stood until health issues stopped me 4 years later. The Council of Clubs presided with the task of administrating running of Club rugby and that is all. However, during my time they never accepted that we had a Board of Directors. We had the ridiculous situation/ position where they were virtually telling the Board or trying to tell us (the Board) how things should be organised and done. I felt and still feel that the left hand did/does not know what the right was doing and today you wonder if that philosophy still applies; in some of the things they do. I held a very strong view then and now that their mandate should be pruned and overviewed. However, with due respects to Fanta, the competition table whether it is transfer or accrual of points during the season has and is the $64,000 question. Any overview or review will only look at the Council itself. Collectively; we have to come up with a solution to the competition issue. Over the years many systems have been tried and as yet there is no one formula that pleases all. Gary Smith and I were discussing this and we agreed that we are caught between a rock and a hard place. How we come up with a solution to “Fanta’s” moan/ question is there to be captured; in the meantime we hold the view that it must “remain on the table”. As to ‘selfish loyalty’ that is for you to judge but Garry and myself consider that our delegate, Lyndon Beale, is doing an excellent job.

Hemi Taylor playing against Scotland

This is one Hemi Taylor, born 17th Dec 1963 and he lived in Hamilton. In 1986 the Club apparently brought him down to play for Carterton which he did. They arranged a job for him (he was a welder) with Massons Implements in Belvedere Road. Although work was not one of his strengths. He actually worked with Eion Clarke and Eion tells me that very regularly he would not turn up on Fridays or Mondays. His philosophy was rest on Friday and get ready for the game and rest and catch up on Monday after the game. He once said to Eion that he was here to play rugby not weld so as you can imagine he eventually got fired. Speaking with Rex Playle, who also played in that 1986 team, he said that Hemi never really shone out as the forward pack/team was a very good one. They lost the final that year by 16-0. So once you read further on you can understand why he did not return. Eion also said he had an unusual running style similar in a lot ways to Konrad Hurrell (Warriors rugby league) in that he would bring his knees up very high and he had a lot trouble with the referees because of his actions. He was number eight for us and made his mark as a flanker; he stood 6 foot 2 inches and weighed around 240 lbs and was a real powerhouse. He played with a few of our current members including our President Steve Hurley and, Immediate Past President of Wairarapa Bush Union, Rex Playle. He also played with Tony Burgess. Tony reminiscenced when approached about him, by saying “Crowbar was the coach and Barry Cadwallader was the Manager along with, I assume, Ronnie Rutene. At the end of that season Hemi went to Newbridge in Wales as part of a Club exchange programme and Tony was pissed off, at the time, because he wanted to go as well but Hemi was selected”. He also complimented him by saying the he was "bigger, faster and uglier”. He obviously did not return the following season as he was spotted by the Wales selectors and immediately drafted into their squad. He went on to play over 100 games for Cardiff, 24 tests between 1994 -1996 and 6 matches for the five/six Nations team from 1995 -1996 and he made three appearances in the 1995 World Cup for Wales.

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Hemi Taylor continued The Welsh record that he came to Newbridge RFC from New Zealand and eventually played the games listed above. He made his debut for the national side in a World Cup qualifier against Portugal in Lisbon - a match they won 102 - 11 and was thereafter part of their squad. He unfortunately missed the previous Five Nations season after injuring his hand while on a night out in Cardiff - a team he captained and played more than a hundred matches for. He was named 45th in Wales on a list of the 50 hardest men to play for the country; Taylor established a reputation of being a physical and combative blindside flanker and also had some games for the Barbarians. (photo on front). It is comforting to know that we have produced or had some world class players playing for and representing our Club, My thanks to Steve , Tony, Rex and Eion, for their snippets and advices with this article. I trust you found it interesting. GENERATIONS PLAYUING FOR CARTERTON On Old Timers Day I was button holed by David Cadwallader for a short chat ( I thought yeah right—I need a Tui !!!). He had read the article in Newsletter No 1 with the Daysh heritage of playing for Carterton; five generations. He Said, ”I/we can beat that”. He married Margaret Blake so for those that were not aware of that, that is where the link comes from. He went on to list the six generations in the following order. Admiral Blake played first but he only knew his nickname and wasn’t sure of the years. Then it was Jim Blake who was patron from 1941-1952, then it was Ivan Blake who was patron also from 19952003. Then on to Brian Blake, who now lives in Auckland and then onto Bevan and Jason Cadwallader with Jordon and Olivia making up the sixth generation. Who of the later two played was not mentioned but he was adamant, in his usual way, that it definitely six generations that have played. In its own right that is a wonderful achievement.

FAMILY/GENERATION PLAYING FOR CARTERTON CONTINUED: The Hurley Family Following on from David’s comments I thought there must be others with a strong connection over the years considering that we have been around since 1879. So I did some research and came up with the following: It highlights that we don’t own our family history, we simple preserve it for the next generation and the following does exactly that: Murty Hurley (1900-1903) he appears to be the first who played for the Carterton Rovers Thursday team and was a player in the championship teams of this era. He also represented Wairarapa as a wing forward. Murty had four sons that represented the club. Maurie Hurley (1930’s) played most positions for Carterton and Wairarapa as a utility back. Pat Hurley (1940’s) played for Carterton as a flanker until the infamous game of mistaken identity. Barry Hurley (1940’s) played for Carterton and was arguably the most talented player of the Hurley boys. Laurie Hurley (1957-2004) is a Life Member and has served the club longer than any family member yet and yet has never played for the club. He coached JAB/junior rugby in the 1950’s and has held every administrative position except club captain. He also was a Board member and President of the Wairarapa-Bush RFU. Laurie’s four sons have also represented the club which is rather ironic as Murty Hurley back in the 1900 also had four sons who played for the club. Vince Hurley (1970’s) played for the seniors as a centre/wing. Steve Hurley (1983-2004) played fullback for Carterton, Wairarapa-Bush and Taranaki. Since retiring from playing he has also coached JAB, Under 21’s Senior B’s and latterly the Senior A team. Most probably his best year was 2006. He is the current President which is a term of two years. Also the principle driver and responsible for establishing our Rugby Youth Academy at the Club. David Hurley (1970 & 1990’s) played flanker for the seniors and has been responsible for directing some well-performed UK based players to the club over the years. Mark Hurley (1983-1992) played as a midfield back for the seniors and also served as secretary/treasurer for a number of years. James Hume (1960’s) is the son of Winn Hume (nee Hurley) and he played JAB rugby for the club. The next generation with some currently playing are: Jono Hurley he plays for the Seniors and has been in the Wairarapa-Bush “B” squad for a couple of years.

AROUND THE TRAPS WITH GARRY AND LIONEL May 16th

Both Snr Seconds and Premier Teams travelled to Whareama to play East Coast

The early game was a very even struggle during the first half with not a lot of structure and our boys having their hands full with a very big East Coast pack. Half time there was no score. The second half was quite different the Carterton pack gained some dominance and the backs ran in three good tries. Full time Carteton 19 East Coast nil. The Premier Game was similar to the curtain raiser in that our team started slowly and seemed to muddle their way through the first 30 minutes. We did however get a try to Lance Stevenson just before half time making the score Carterton 7 East Coast 0. The next forty minutes produced some of our best rugby so far this season. The forwards delivered good ball and the backs did the business. Lance Stevenson scored two more tries out wide and really stood out as the player of the day. Brock Price, who had one of his usual top games, also chipped in with a try. Andy Humblestone had a solid game as well and converted two out of the three tries. Full time; therefore was a credible Carterton 29 East Coast 3.

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MAY 23rd

Premier Teams travelled to Jean Street to play Pioneer and the 3rds were at home to Tuhirangi

This was really a top of the table clash in the 3rd grade as we were both on the same points. You could say it was a game of two halves but in reality what cost us was ill discipline which to me was over the top. In the first half we had around 70/80% possession but were not able to penetrate their defence. They ventured into our half three times in that spell and scored three tries nearly all under the bar to race out to a 22.7 lead. Two of those tries were scored, bearing in mind we only had one Bush official referee, while players argued with the referee and others were involved in fracas’s of various sorts. I will say , at this point, they have some very good players and they don’t need to demonstrate the ill-discipline that they do; it is not good enough. Just after half time they went out to a 29-7 lead and I thought he comes a cricket score. Then we settled down and played some excellent running rugby; running in a total of five tries to get a bonus point. In doing so they came very close to pulling the game off but in the dying minutes Swanny Nicho got a yellow card for repeated scrum infringements which did not help. I must say Swanny had a very good game and for that matter plays well every time I see him play. Goose was the driver behind the resurgence in the second half. They are in a lot of ways a scratch team having so many players at their disposal and at times they play like a very well oiled machine and it is great to watch. It is a matter instilling in them that is what the game is about. You never win back chatting the referee etc. When you overview the final score of 34-29 you realise how close we went to pulling this game off.; even with all the may-hem. The Premiers started slowly taking some time to get into the game. Pioneer are a good side and attacked us all over the paddock right from the whistle which allowed them to be up 14 points within the first 20 minutes. We went into the shed at half time down 14-3. In the second foray we played much better and got right back into the game and towards the end we were leading 19-17. However, Pioneer did not give up and a try via a mid field move and a late penalty was sufficient to seal our fate. The final score was Pioneer 27 Carterton 19 and was really a good effort in the circumstances.

MAY 30th

Premier Teams travelled to Gladstone and the 3rds played Masterton-Redstar.

The 3rd’s game was ironically a 2.30pm kick-off. As it turned out it was the Rams Old Timers Day and their club being in the unfortunate position of not having a team in the Premier Grade. This meant in one way that with their own loyalty and number of players they would be a formidable side. We gave it our best shot against a team that has not been beaten this year so far. They eventually wore us down and ran out winners 33-21. One notable point some of the players made was that they had ache and pains in places they have never had them before and they all agreed it was acclimatising to the different style of turf. Quite interesting if that is what caused their aches; as they are not the fittest bunch of players at the best of times. The Premiers played Gladstone and they have been our bogey team for as many years as I can remember. We have not beaten them since 2010. So we were asking the question is “today the day”. We started with a lovely try to Corey Fadzean which was un-converted but we were right in the game. A loose pass in the mid field saw an intercept try under the bar to Gladstone to give them the lead 7-5. We managed a penalty to Andy Humberstone so we went to the break down 14-8. The second half was a fairly even battle and Corey McFadzean scored his second try but within minutes Gladstone came back at us and they scored. Then the every reliable Brock Price got into the action scoring a try with support from Andy Humberstone but it was too little too late. They eventually ran out the winners 27-21 but it was a game we felt that we should have won considering the way we played but the bounce of the ball did not go our way.

JUNE 6th

Premier Teams travelled to Trust House Memorial Park and played Marist and the 3rds played Pioneer at Jean Street.

Pioneer were far to good for our boys and they are a very pro-active team. Where, to be honest, our guys while they play some good rugby when they come up against fitter and better teams they simply struggled to stay in the game and this was the case today. We play well in patches whereas Pioneer plays/played well all the time with the assistance of a large bench. Fitness and support back-up showed in the result with our boys never really in the game with a final result of 29-3.

THE PREMIERS This was our first game on the new turf at Memorial Park and it was far and away our best performance of the season. We were on a par with Marist until half time when Andy Humblestone scored and converted a good try; he also kicked a penalty in the later stages meaning that Carterton trailed 17-10. Right from the second half kick off our tight five showed their potential by getting stuck into the opposition. We were clearly on top of the Marist pack by this stage and a number of us felt that the old adage was going to apply here in that “the forwards were deciding who wins and the backs were recording by how much”. With this dominance in the second half we were able to score tries to Johnnie McFadzean two and Corey his brother one. There was also a brilliant ,solo, down the touch line run away try to Danny Brown. Andy Humblestone kicked the necessary conversion/s and a penalty making the final score Carterton 39 Marist 17. Garry Smith and Neville Taylor went into the Marist clubrooms after game and you could have heard “a pin drop on the carpet” . Needless to say the beer has never tasted so good.

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June 6th against Marist Daryl Pickering Johnnie Hull Johnnie McFadzean

JUNE 13TH

Premier Team was at home to Greytown and 3rd’s played Masterton/Red-Star.

The 3rds played the top of the table team in Masterton Red-Star and I was not able to get coverage of the game for you. They were on top for most of the game and ran out winners 23-17 whereas a couple of weeks ago we were well beaten by them so it was a good result. Apologies for not being able to do better. THE PREMIERS The first half was a dour affair with both teams evenly balanced. Greytown made a good break in the 10th minute and scored which was not converted 5-0. Five minutes later we were on attack and received a penalty making the score 3-5. I felt that while the referee was correct in his judgements he was quite pedantic; at times. He could have let the game flow a bit more. The second half got off to a flyer with us on attack and playing well. They ended up with a defensive lineout one metre from the line on their throw. They threw it in Brock was on hand to break through and over, for a damn good try making us leaders 8-5. They scored a good try in the 14th minute due to a defensive lapse on our part and they had a conversion right in front 20 metres out. Yes, he missed it hit the post. But in the 26th minute we kicked down field and into the arms of Tavita Isaac, he can run like a march hare, and he set off kicked, regathered without a Carterton player getting within cooee of him. Late in the game we kept falling off tackles especially when you have players as quick as Tavita Isaac and Nick Olsen you pay the price. These late tries, in the last seven minutes, actually flattered their score line. When you look at it overall you can't point the bone but you can deduce that fitness and playing the full 80 minutes were influential factors. All our close losses have really come down to this simple analogy. We did look good but just that little extra finesse needed.

JUNE 20TH

Premier Team was at home to Eketahuna and 3rd’s played Greytown The weather was a shocker as you all would appreciate. Last time these teams met it was a one way ride but today, in the first half, we played consistent rugby. This was apart from two yellow cards dished out very early in the game. Once that happened the game settled down and we got two penalties to lead 6-0. In the 31st min after a very good forward drive Swanny scored 11-0. I felt, at this stage, that Goose and Quinton Larkin were controlling the game really well. We went to the break 11-0. We began the second khalf with a penalty and a try making us 21-0. In the 9th min however they scored 21-7. Then in the 15th min it was the play of the game. We were on attack and the ball was well cleared by Goose, Quinton weaved a bit of magic and out to the backs 26 -7. The highlight of this game was seeing the team believe in themselves and displaying their talent. At times the way they played you would have thought it was a clear firm ground/day. The down side was the3 referee called the game off with 5 mins to go due to a melee. I felt that Goose stood out and Quinton Larkin who is a little egotistical and at times an embarrassment to the club played an outstanding game; especially his line kicking. THE PREMIERS GAME WILL ON SKY SPORT (Ch 51) GRASSROOTS RUGTBY AT 7.30PM THURSDAY THE PREMIERS played Eketahuna and expectations were high due to recent form. Eketahuna started with a flyer while we struggled for ball and possession, rarely venturing over half way in the first half. They had a very high territory and possession percentage which made it very difficult. They got a penalty in the 4th min and a try in the 10th to lead 8-0. They then scored again out wide in the 24th min which was well converted 0-15. We went on attack but could not maintain pressure and possession. Quite simply we kept knocking the ball on at every opportunity.

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June 20th Marist Premier game continues The second half was a repeat of the first. We had no ball and they had a territorial advantage. In the 22nd min we seemed to get a new lease of life and a series of good moves and good support play saw Jesse Brown score 7-15. We had a resurgence in this time and had most of the possession. However, Eketahuna’s defence was solid and attack after attack fell short. But you could see some of Zeb’s philosophies coming through. We did not handle the wet conditions as they did. You could say that is expected as it is always raining in Eketahua anyway. We believe we scored in the 34th min but lengthy referee consultations the status quo remained. They were deserved winner 15-7.

GREAT RUGBY PARENTS PLAY BY THE RULES !

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Remember to encourage me from the sideline Let the coach coach Respect the decisions of the referees Show sportsmanship towards my teammates and opponents by not putting them down Stay calm on the sideline, sit back and enjoy the game Remember that I’M TRYING MY BEST Let me set my own goals Keep in mind that lecturing me after the game will not improve my skills Please review the rules so that you understand the game

10, Remember that it is just a game. JAB

Our JAB roving reporter must have slept in today so I am unable to bring you an update on the JAB. I can however let you know that the JAB hoodies modelled by Matthew and Leon Rodgers were designed by the JAB and are available for purchase. They look great and if you are interested please give Neil Rodger a call on 027 4949515 or check their website www.cartertonrugbyjab.org.nz.

Matthew

Leon

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It’s been a long time since we have seen consistently fine weather to start a season off like we have had so far this year. And from the side-line my observations reveal three things of interest. Firstly, many players are not fit enough to play a full game at the pace that the dry conditions allow. So the timely player substitutions are playing a really important part in deciding matches. Secondly, the hard club grounds and the new stadium surface are a nightmare for players who are tasked with collecting and returning kicks in play. You either have to get to the ball on the full or suffer all of the consequences of high bounciness and erratic angles. And finally, the sun. It’s there every day but as a weapon for tactically astute teams to exploit, it’s hard to beat. And yet I have only seen one team use the summer conditions to their advantage. The great thing about rugby is that it a multi-dimensional game. If you just turn up week upon week and play then you have failed to appreciate that the game has many nuances that can be tactically exploited to give your team an advantage. If the weather stays this way, I would expect to see far more high kicks in play, and much more awareness of how the sun can be your friend. And add the timely substitution of mobile forwards to keep the pace of the game and we could see some exciting outcomes I hope teams will become far more tactically active, something that is far too often missing in the rugby I see. I’ll be watching. I hope you will be to. The Whistle Blower

DRAWS REMAINING GAMES AND VENUES SENIOR PREMIER Round 2 All games at 2.30pm June 27th Martinborough at Martinborough July 4th All Premier teams a bye July 11th East Coast at Carterton July 18th Pioneer at Carterton

SENIOR RESERVES Round 2 All games at 1.00pm Marist at Memorial Park Tuhirangi at Carterton All Senior Reserves Bye Pioneer at Carterton

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