Sav's Sidelines: NZ Rugby ignored a five-minute job, and it's telling
Sav's Sidelines - the weekly column that looks at all things Southland rugby, from the grassroots to the professional game.
Welcome to this week’s Sav’s Sidelines column where Logan Savory again asks New Zealand Rugby to at least try to show the provincial game some love.
He covers off the not-so-surprising Stag midfielder’s shift to Northland, takes a look at Southland’s looseforward strength, and salutes the late Bill Foster.
For good measure, he also turns back the clock and recalls the day a bunch of Southland club rugby players united to take on the British & Irish Lions on a Tuesday afternoon at Rugby Park in Invercargill.
Is provincial rugby now a nuisance?
There’s little doubt the Ranfurly Shield has lost a bit of the shine that it once had. Even someone like me whose rugby focus each year centres around the provincial game can admit that.
Over the decades the spotlight that once hovered over the historic prized Ranfurly Shield has dimmed.
But I’ve asked these questions before, and I’ll ask them again.
Is provincial rugby viewed as a nuisance to those at New Zealand Rugby HQ? Has it been given a chance to survive?
Provincial rugby’s demise feels like - behind closed doors - it might be encouraged by some.
Hawke’s Bay held its first Ranfurly Shield defence of 2024 against King Country on Wednesday. Of course, it wasn’t the biggest rugby news of the week. I get that.
But New Zealand Rugby didn’t show it a heap of love which hasn’t provided a lot of confidence that the game’s officials are attempting to help provincial rugby to retain some sort of interest.
If you checked out New Zealand Rugby’s social media channels prior to Wednesday’s Ranfurly Shield game you’d be none the wiser there was a Ranfurly Shield game being played. Not a peep from them.
As I write this column - a few days after the whistle - you still won’t be able to find the score of the first Ranfurly Shield defence on New Zealand Rugby’s social media channels.
At the very least it’s a five-minute job to post the final score alongside a photo. The fans deserve it, the sponsors deserve it, and the King Country players who probably just played in their biggest game of rugby deserve it.
In August last year, NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson said: “Clearly, we saw some really positive trends as it related to broadcast and streaming with Super Rugby, but also some challenges as it related to in-game attendance, and the NPC for many years now has had some challenges.”
There is little doubt the provincial game has challenges and changes are required to ensure the sport financially stacks up.
But when it comes to provincial rugby is this a case of tanking, given the governing body it feels does its best to pretend it doesn’t even exist?
I’ve previously suggested the once-national game is fast becoming a sport for those based in the main centres - or Super Rugby bases.
There might have been a smattering of exaggeration attached to that comment previously.
But when New Zealand Rugby largely ignored one of its most decorated provincial trophies this week - online anyway - it didn’t do anything to hose down that suggestion.
For the record, Hawke’s Bay had no problems retaining the Ranfurly Shield with a 57-7 victory - and that’s good news Southland Stags fans.
The Stags will get the first crack at the Ranfurly Shield when the NPC season rolls around.
Southland will head to Napier to take on Hawke’s Bay on August 17.
Stag turned Taniwha…
The announcement this week that Tevita Latu has signed with Northland for the 2024 season seemed inevitable.
Latu has been part of the Stags setup since 2019, although he played just the 17 matches with shoulder problems proving problematic.
Towards the end of last season, it felt like we were starting to see what Latu can do at the NPC level, in particular through his ability to offload in the tackle.
He spent some time in the lead up to the Super Rugby season training with the Highlanders but wasn’t resigned by Southland for 2024.
There was a thought he would again line up for Marist in Southland’s club competition to push for another Stags contract.
However, he started the club season playing for Sydenham in Christchurch with his partner Te Huinga Selby-Rickit picking up a netball coaching job with the Tactix.
Some at Marist, midway through the season, remained hopeful Latu would still return. But it never happened.
Instead, Latu has agreed to take up a contract offer from Northland, and here is why it shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone.
Northland’s coach this year is Dale MacLeod, who of course was part of the Stags coaching setup throughout most of Latu’s time with Southland.
The fact that Latu wasn’t offered a contract at the end of the 2023 season suggests the Stags’ decision-makers are probably not too fazed by the move.
But we’ve been here before and there is every chance Latu will now take his chance with Northland.
The Stags have locked in Matt Whaanga, while Isaac Te Tamaki is also returning, as far as midfielders go.
There’s been suggestions an English midfielder has also been in Southland’s sights, while Angus Simmers who was part of the 2023 Stags squad is again stating his case playing for the Barbarians.
The welcome looseforward dilemma…
It doesn’t take too much pondering to figure out where the Southland Stags strength lies heading into another NPC campaign. It’s a strength that might provide some welcomed head-scratching for those who select the 23 each week.
Highlander Sean Withy has been the major off-season signing. He will join the likes Hayden Michaels (contracted Highlander), Blair Ryall (2023 Stag of the Year), and a couple of dominant club rugby players in the form of Semisi Tupou Taeiloa and Leroy Ferguson.
The constant chatter around Southland rugby at the moment is that No 8 Dylan Nel will return and join the mix again this year as well.
When the Stags signed Withy late last year it seemed they probably wouldn’t be able to sign both Withy and Nel. But it appears things might have changed.
Nel has just finished a Major League Rugby season with the Utah Warriors.
The experienced looseforward joined the Stags in 2023 after a stint playing in Japan but an injury early in the campaign against Wellington cut his season short with Southland.
Here’s is a task for you now. Select your looseforward trio from the list of players I’ve mentioned above.
A tip of the cap to Bill Foster…
While the professional landscape has changed how rugby is run over the past 30 years the sport’s place in Southland has and will continue to be shaped by the passion of the volunteers.
Bill Foster over many years was a shining example of that, which included his time as president of the Southland Rugby Union.
Foster died peacefully aged 95 on Friday. His legacy will continue to live on though.
Each year at Rugby Southland’s end of the year awards the Bill Foster Trophy is handed out. The trophy is awarded to the most improved team in club rugby.
The latest winner of that trophy was the Woodlands Development team last year.
A service for Bill will be held at The Hideaway 201, Lochiel on Wednesday.
Blast from the past…
On June 8, 1993, a Southland team made up of a group of players from club rugby took on the touring British & Irish Lions at the then-named Homestead Stadium in Invercargill.
It was played on a Tuesday afternoon, but it didn’t halt a big crowd showing up. It was the Lions who claimed a 34-16 victory.
Check out the extended highlights package below.