Midlands to drop out of premier club rugby competition
Many attached to Southland rugby hoped that Midlands could in fact become a long-term established premier club to ensure the flagship club competition reached all points of the province.
In a blow to Southland premier club rugby, the Midlands Rugby Club isn’t expected to play in the 2024 competition.
The Winton-based club will instead line up in the second-tier Division One competition next year.
Led by the players, Midlands made the bold call in late 2021 to step up to Southland’s premier competition for the 2022 season with the quest of becoming a long-term established premier club.
There were a number of players at the Midlands club who wanted to test themselves playing in the premier grade. If the club did not step up to the premier ranks, Midlands was at risk of losing those players.
Midlands went through the 2022 season without a win although did show some encouraging signs this year. It included a memorable win over Star at home in Winton.
Down 22-17, with about five minutes to play, Logan Nicholson scored out wide for Midlands to level the scores up at 22-22.
Nicholson then had the task of kicking the conversion from out wide to put Midlands into the lead with a few minutes to play. Much to the delight of the packed stand at Centennial Park he made no mistake.
However, as the season wore on injuries tested Midlands' depth, particularly in the front row.
Midlands was forced to default a game this year after being hit by injury and not having the front row depth to front at the premier level.
The Midlands players have met following the season and it has been decided Division One is the best competition for them.
At the end of the day, club rugby is about where players get the most enjoyment from it.
Although many attached to Southland rugby hoped that Midlands could in fact become a long-term established premier club to ensure the flagship club competition reaches all points of the province.
Without Midlands, the premier club competition has no representation from the Central and Western areas of Southland.
Southland country is now only represented in the competition by the Gore-based Eastern-Northern Barbarians.
The upside of the reduction of teams - from seven to six in Southand’s premier competition - is a bye now won’t be required.
Hard luck midlands ,southland really needs you guys.some clubs seem to get all the imports.i wonder who controls this.there is no sence in loading some clubs with rep players.no one is the winner in these circumstances.
That’s a bugger, if those dicks at Rugby Southland ensured the rugby talent was more evenly spread throughout the premier teams this may not have happened