Money, people needed to fix Pirates situation

Jess Tuhega.
Jess Tuhega.
Pirates chairwoman Jess Tuhega believes the club needs "money and people" to make a return to the premier grade.

The 135-year-old club made the painful decision to pull out of the top grade this season when it became obvious it did not have the playing resources.

Tuhega, who has been involved with the club for 19 years, said it was an ’’incredibly hard’’ call.

"People are just gutted for us," Tuhega said.

"We pretty much put in all the resources we possibly could to try and get a premier team for the season.

"We got the coaches and we got the rugby director to do recruitment. We had meetings with our wider club members ... to see who was willing to put up their hand.

"We pulled out all the stops. We didn’t just want to give up our prem team without a fight."

That fight was forlorn. The club came close to defaulting a game last season but limped through to the end of the season.

Its absence leaves the premier grade with nine teams and a bye each round, which is not ideal.

And Pirates now faces the difficult task of rebuilding the senior club.

The club fields a women’s and a premier two team, she said.

Asked what it would take to get back in the premier grade, Tuhega replied "money and people".

"You need money to be offering the financial incentives that players get offered these days.

"You need volunteers and people with the passion that have the time to be able to put in what is required  to run a rugby club and get a premier team off the ground.

"So my answer is money and people. And I know that the money one is a bit controversial but it is what it is.‘‘If you ask anyone in the club scene, they are not paying their players," she added.

The issue of financial incentives aside, Tuhega is not convinced there are enough players in the region to support 10 competitive premier teams. She warned without Pirates, a new team would find itself at the bottom of the pile and could end up in the same situation as Pirates.

That said, Tuhega is hopeful the club can get back into the premier grade. Taieri and Green Island both fought their way back.

"Everything is doable. We need people power. We need the volunteers to help get those prem sides and that prem colts team up and running.

"We need to create a brand as well so the boys want to come and play for the club.

"But for every player we thought we had, there was another club ringing them up and saying ‘come to us’."

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