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Laurie Mains
Former All Black coach Laurie Mains is standing for the
Otago Rugby Football Union board, saying he believes he has
something to offer Otago rugby.
Mains, who coached Otago from 1983 to 1991, and then the All
Blacks from 1992 to 1995, has not been involved in Otago
rugby since he finished coaching the Highlanders in 2003.
That year he had a falling out with some players and with
Highlanders chief executive John Hornbrook.
Otago District Heath Board chief medical officer of health
Richard Bunton also confirmed yesterday he would stand for
the board while board member Tony Chave said yesterday he
would not seek re-appointment.
Mains (63) said he was standing for two main reasons.
"I feel I can make a significant contribution to help improve
Otago rugby and can be there to support those talented
individuals who in recent years have been elected to the
board.
I can get on the board and support them to make the changes
which need to be made," he said.
He said grassroots rugby from schools, clubs and the
sub-unions had been neglected in past years and felt that had
to be better managed.
"I'm also a strong supporter of the new stadium and if the
stadium is to succeed and not be a burden on the ratepayers
of the DCC then Otago rugby has to be performing."
Mains said he was approached by a few individuals before
Christmas and had spent a lot of time over deciding whether
to stand.
"I think I have something significant to offer and if I
didn't then I wouldn't have stood.
"Otago rugby is clearly still very important to me and has
been a significant part of my life."
He believed Otago had a strong group of players, which only
had to be enhanced by the import of a couple of players and a
better talent identification programme.
The union posted a $764,000 loss for last year and Mains
believed his business background would help on the board.
Until he got on the board, he could not say in detail what
needed to be done.
Mains lives in Queenstown but had sold his building business
in the resort town, although he still runs a house building
business in Dunedin.
Bunton, who played 14 games for Otago in the 1970s, said he
was approached about standing and it had always been in the
back of his mind to make a contribution.
"I'm of a realistic enough view that one person can not make
big changes but if I can join with people who think along
similar lines then we can secure the future of the game and
the future of the new stadium," Bunton said.
He said when rugby was going well in Otago there had been no
planning for the future, and that was coming back to haunt
the union.
Bunton (56) said he was aware Mains was standing, and said he
did not have a set tunnel vision on what had to be done to
make the union successful.
Chave said he would not be seeking re-appointment after being
on the board since 2002, citing increasing work commitments.
Another spot is open on the board after Ross Laidlaw resigned
in November last year to be the chairman of the Highlanders
board.
Chairman Ron Palenski is the other board member up for
re-appointment and he has yet to decide whether he will stand
again.
