The Eels crushed Southern to go 10 points clear at the top of the table and can anybody beat them? Southern is still in the six but has work to do. Harbour was too good for Kaik and sits comfortably in third and should make the six easily. Kaik, conversely, has only won one and is fighting over the spoon. The six is looking like a mirage for it. The mighty Zingers got the W over AU in style and the beloved Grace Mills Trophy is back in the cabinet. AU has made it hard for itself to now make the six, and an astute punter would steer clear. The Sharks put 50 on Varsity to sit second with a game in hand and are all but confirmed for the six (but I may have said that last year!). Varsity is living a nightmare and if it was at base camp at Everest last week, it is back on the plane flying into Tibet now.
The deal
The Silver Lake deal will be getting signed off as I pen this column. So what does it mean for grassroots rugby. Clubs will get $10K, $20K, $30K or $50K depending on the number of active players. Most clubs would fall into the first three brackets, which is from zero to 700 players. The money may sound good, but if you’re a rugby club that has, say, 400 players, your running costs are probably $80K to $100K per year. And remember this is a one-off payment, so, while nice, it’s no game changer. First division unions will get $1 million and once they pay down debt which has been incurred running an unsustainable NPC comp, how much really is that? They are establishing “legacy funding” for which apparently all can apply. My biggest concern is that clubs and unions will use this windfall to buy more players, which is patently ridiculous. NZR has been at pains to say this will not happen — but I’ll believe it when I see it. If the whole deal is managed properly, it will be great for the game and should provide a funding source for a long time. The panel that manages that process will supposedly be independent. I’ll reserve judgement on that. I’m cautiously optimistic but the devil will be in the detail. On the face of it, it’s not a game changer for the grassroots as yet.
The accountant’s dogsbody
Dunedin’s best accountant’s dogsbody, who funnily rates himself as the best accountant, has recently also come slightly “unglued” over exotic cars. He had purchased a Ferrari but from day one it had never performed as he knew the Italian stallion should. After numerous heated phone calls, they finally shipped the aforesaid item back to Auckland to check it over. They fixed the problem then sent said vehicle back to Dunedin by train (their second mistake!). It arrived back here with a flat tyre which caused the “ties” to become loose and the Ferrari “scraped” its way back to Dunedin. Apparently repainting a red Ferrari in Dunners is not that easy. Eighteen months later, the “beast” is now roadworthy. The word is the accountant and the dogsbody are being wined and dined this weekend by Ferrari — they will want to get their money’s worth!
Longevity
Big Southern No 8 Mika Mafi plays his 100th game this weekend. It’s been a while coming, because I think he may have had stints in North Otago and Green Island. Well done, Mika. Also, Finn Strawbridge, the GI pivot, brings up 50 in the “Battle of the Saddle” at the Toolbox. Finn seems to have been around forever, but well done, mate. Speaking of longevity, I was out at Shark Park on Saturday where the Sharks were playing the Bookworms in P2s and the latter looked very thin on numbers. They lost a couple of players early and suddenly Dunedin’s best lawyer Chris Burke (Burkey) strode out of the changing rooms like a colossus and took the field like an ageing Superman minus the cape. Now Burkey will never see 40 again but it was a herculean effort he put in and he had to play at least 40 minutes — good on ya, mate.
Down on the farm
It’s Queen’s Birthday (more affectionately known as Colin Meads’ Birthday) this weekend, so the Topp Cup must be on for Country supremacy. But apparently not, as it has been moved to the last weekend in July. The North and Central teams are not playing this week because they need a break? They’ve played for five whole weeks and there are at least three weeks to go, so they really need a break! At least there is still one hard man left in Country rugby in Aidan Winter, who is still plying his trade for the Arrow Bulls, and he won’t see 40 again either. To reward him, he has been handed the reins of the Otago Country team this year as the coach — couldn’t be in safer hands. Question: does Kurow have the best backline in Otago club rugby? Matt Faddes, Ben Nowell, Hayden Todd, and the Kurow Kid Hayden Parker suits up next weekend. If they don’t win it all in the North this year, get the drug testers up there.
