Otago Spirit have been rorted by rugby reshuffle
What a great shame reading about New Zealand Rugby’s decision to restructure the two women’s rugby divisions for the Farah Palmer Championship in the 2026 season.
The decision will see the championship and premiership divided into two sections of six teams each. Taranaki drop out altogether with Hawkes Bay, and the Otago Spirit team is denied their right to be promoted by winning the 2025 Farah Palmer Championship.
Our hard-working, dedicated Otago Spirit team, coaches and management gave their all to achieve a grand slam by winning all games.
Where are the spine and strength of ORU to fight for these women?
They deserve what they have achieved and fought for. ORU will lose great female rugby players from this silly selfish decision.
I feel for the hard slog of the dedicated coaches and support staff of this amazing team. They must be wondering why they give up their precious time to volunteer for NZR and ORU only to have the rug pulled right out from under their feet.
Come on ORFU, show NZR that Otago Spirit deserve better by showing you actually care for these players.
Geoff McPhee
Cromwell
Natural dispersal
Plants and animals do it: they disperse naturally and disperse themselves, immigrating (human animals bringing their religion with them), procreating, forming new colonies and sometimes interbreeding to produce hybrid communities - as Kai Tahu did, mimicking what Kati Mamoe had done to Waitaha before them.
It is much appreciated that Associate Prof Anaru Eketone (Opinion ODT 15.12.25) at least recognises that 19th-century colonists of both the secular and Christian kind, did contribute something positive to New Zealand’s social history, for which he is clearly a beneficiary and exponent. We look forward to Anaru’s next contribution.
Ron Adams
Dunedin
Tax systems
ODT readers are lucky to have someone with Anaru Eketone’s thought-provoking and entertaining articles available to us. His Christmas message must surely have given even the most rabid Act New Zealand supporter pause for thought.
As a socialist I am not a believer in Christian faith but I do have common cause with Christian principles. Mr Eketone’s article exposed the lack of both faith and principles in the current crop of political leaders.
Well, not only our current crop. For a long time political careers have come before beliefs in anything. The rot really set in in the late 1980s when Act Cabinet members masquerading as Labour politicians took us on this journey of personal gain above all else.
It must be said they have been welcomed in voting numbers so great that National and Labour have been fearful, not of caring, but sharing, a tax system based on Christian principles.
Christopher Horan
Lake Hawea
Legal divide
Two protesters trespassed on a fishing boat, disrupted staff for two hours, and ignored police orders (‘‘No penalty for protest stunt’’ ODT 13.12.25).
A considerable amount of company time and taxpayers’ money was expended and yet the protesters did not have to pay a cent in penalty. Instead, they were rewarded with wonderful free publicity and an explanation of why they are right and the fishing company is evil.
They, apparently, are today’s heroes and an excellent example for other protesters to follow. Obviously, I’m old-fashioned in my thinking and need re-educating.
It would help people like me if the ODT invited the community magistrate to write an opinion piece on the role of laws in society. For example, she could explain how we should decide which laws to obey and which laws to ignore.
Allan Gardyne
Cromwell
Are charges about profits?
In the ODT of 17.12.25 Jessica Walker was commenting on excessive surcharges when consumers use a card. She understood the fees are now comparable with some of the lowest in the world.
This may be true for those countries that charge a fee, but last year I used my credit card in Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, England and Norway and I was not charged a surcharge on any of my transactions.
Japan, Malaysia and England have huge populations compared to New Zealand but Singapore and Norway are similar. This means it is not influenced by population size.
Despite claims that surcharges are justified by the costs of processing card payments, it is clear from my international experience that such fees are not necessary.
Many countries have managed to keep their payment systems efficient without passing extra costs on to consumers.
It raises the question of whether these surcharges are more about increasing profit margins than covering genuine expenses.
Alison Hebbard
Albert Town
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