Sav's Sidelines: $30k boost for Pioneer Rugby Club
Sav's Sidelines - the weekly column that looks at all things Southland rugby, from the grassroots to the professional game.
This week’s Sav’s Sidelines column highlights why Jayden Broome’s selection in the New Zealand U18 Māori team is bigger than a personal success story. We also celebrate the fact five Southlanders have made national age-group teams, and on the other end of the age spectrum, we pay tribute to Stags legend Josh Bekhuis who now has Jason Rutledge in his sights.
We also highlight how a Gore rugby club is $30k better off and take a trip down memory lane to look back at a Stags victory over Manawatu in Palmerston North in 2010.
$30k boost for Pioneer Rugby Club…
The Gore-based Pioneer Rugby Football Club has been announced as a Bunnings Rugby Assist recipient for 2024, receiving a $30,000 grant.
Pioneer was established in 1905 and has been a key part of rugby community for almost 120 years.
The club has helped foster the growth of rugby in Southland providing young people with an opportunity to develop their rugby skills, teamwork, discipline, and community spirit through the sport. The club's motto; never above, never below, always besides, is evident in the weekly dinners that are served to players and volunteers.
Club secretary Justine Abernethy said: ‘‘The Pioneer Rugby Club in Gore has a longstanding history of serving the local rugby community by fostering a welcoming environment for players of all ages and skill levels.
"The $30,000 from Bunnings Rugby Assist will have a significant impact on the club's ability to continue serving the community through improvements to the clubhouse, changing rooms and field maintenance, all of which would provide a better experience for players and supporters.
‘‘These upgrades will not only enhance the day-to-day operations of the club but also attract new members, improve player welfare, and increase community engagement through better event hosting.
‘‘We're so thankful for Bunnings support of grassroots rugby and Pioneer Rugby Football club,” Abernethy said.
Gore lad's selection a victory for the smaller schools…
Jayden Broome’s selection in the New Zealand Māori Under-18 team this week is bigger than a personal success story.
It’s a win for the schools that wouldn’t be regarded as traditional rugby powerhouses and it sends a strong message to other aspiring players in places like Gore.
Broome attends Māruawai College and the looseforward this season played for the combined Māruawai College-Menzies College first XV.
Next month he will play for the New Zealand Māori U18 team against Australia U18 and NZ Heartland U20 teams.
‘‘To have a guy from Māruawai - formerly Gore High - make that Māori team is pretty special, I was pretty chuffed for him,’’ Rugby Southland academy manager Scott Eade said.
‘‘I’ve known him for three years now, we’ve had him in our pre-academy and the dedication and drive that kid has got is great.
‘‘Hopefully, for the community and the other kids in Gore and at Māruawai College they can see it can be done.
‘‘I know there was a time Broomey was weighing up what he was going to do school-wise, but he stayed there and I’m just glad that he stayed there, and he has got a national opportunity.
‘‘Hopefully, it just shows other kids that if you are driven enough, and with our support, you can get there.’’
‘‘Again, I go back to his character, he is always seeking feedback and asking questions on how to improve, we’ve had a lot of good conversations over the last 18 months.’’
While the likes of Broome miss out on the regular higher-level interschool-type fixtures that those at, say, Southland Boys’ High School get, other opportunities have been found to help aid Broome’s development.
Eade said it was arranged for Broome to spend the preseason training with the Eastern-Northern Barbarians premier club team in Gore.
Broome also spent time training with the Southland Under-19 squad under Eade’s watch.
His New Zealand Māori U18 selection is another feather in the cap for Gore as a rugby production line.
Current Highlanders players Ethan de Groot, Jack Taylor, Hayden Michaels, Cameron Millar, and Finn Hurley all started their rugby journeys in the Eastern Southland town.
Age-group selections deserve celebrating…
Let’s take a moment to put Southland’s national age-group selection announcement this week into a bit of context.
Six players from the Highlanders regions were named in either the NZ Schools, NZ U18 Barbarians, or NZ Māori teams. Five of those six players are from Southland.
Those at Rugby Southland HQ should be proud and it’s a feat that’s worth celebrating.
‘‘I’ve had a wee bit of involvement around some of the positional stuff [nationally] and you get a feel to forget just how many schools and how many good players there are around the country, so it is pretty special to get five players,’’ Rugby Southland academy manager Scott Eade said.
Those five selected are; Thomas Jennings (prop, New Zealand Secondary Schools, Presley McHugh (prop), Mika Muliaina (first five-eighth), and Gregor Rutledge (looseforward) - all U18 Barbarians - and Jayden Broome (looseforward) has been selected in New Zealand Māori U18 team.
‘‘Presley is obviously only Year 12 so it’s awesome for him to see his real improvement over the past couple of years… It’s pretty exciting for him and being Year 12 he gets an opportunity to go and nail it and have another go next year,’’ Eade said.
Muliaina is Year 13, but he too falls into McHugh’s age bracket which means he too has another year in the Under-18 ranks.
‘‘The thing with Mika is this year the first fives across the country is a really strong cohort which I think it makes it even more telling that he has been selected. The list of tens, maybe in comparison to the past couple of years, is pretty deep. He’s done really well. I’m really pleased for him.’’
‘‘Obviously the impact Derms [Jason Dermody], Skelty [Peter Skelt], Chris McIlwrick, and Marty [McKenzie], have had with those three Southland Boys’ guys, and obviously Gregor last year, the work they have put into those guys has been huge.’’
Rutledge is in his first year out of school but still qualifies as an under-18 player.
Josh Bekhuis now eyes up Jason Rutledge…
Stags lock Josh Bekhuis has ticked off one record and now has Jason Rutledge in his sights for another. Well, he might not but other rugby trainspotters at least have it in the sights.
Bekhuis played his 133rd NPC first division game on Friday night against the Canterbury. It’s now a record for first division NPC appearances toppling Ash Dixon’s 132. The NPC first started in 1976.
With other games, outside NPC first division fixtures included, the 38-year-old’s total caps for Southland now sits at 140.
Rutledge holds the record for most Southland games at 143 and with four games to go in 2024, Bekhuis has a shot at equalling or passing Rutledge’s record.
Rutledge made 125 first division NPC appearances but he racked up a further 18 games for Southland. It included the likes of the 2003 outing against Italy and the 2005 British & Irish Lions fixture.
For interest's sake, Keiran Crowley amassed 199 games in total for Taranaki which appears to be the most for one province.
Blast from the Past…
The Stags will this Wednesday night take on Manawatu in Palmerston North. It provides the perfect chance to turn back the clock to 2010 when a Southland team that included current Stags coaches Matt Saunders, James Wilson, and Kane Thompson beat a Manawatu team that included a 20-year-old Aaron Smith.