Sub-union defends push for clubs before college

After three years of rigorous debate, the Nelson Bays Rugby Sub-Union (NBRSU) insists it had to play hard ball with Nelson College over the make-up of its teenage club competition.

The college has effectively been banned from entering its own sides in the U14, U15 and U16 club competition this year with NBRSU chair Jimmy van der Colk maintaining their participation would continue to have a detrimental effect on club numbers, especially in rural areas.

Jimmy wants college students turning out for clubs, which he claims otherwise run the real risk of losing their age grade sides after players head to Nelson College for their education and the chance to make rugby academies.

Wearing his Wanderers Sports Club general manager’s hat, he says remaining club players often feel displaced, which leads to a big drop-out rate making it hard to keep teams together

“If you lose seven or eight players from just the one country club team, it is really tough.”

Jimmy and Nelson College principal Richard Washington agree on one thing, the split competition trialled last year was “a bit messy”. It involved college players turning out for clubs for the first half, eight games, and Nelson College then fielding its own U14 and U15 sides in the second half.

Richard insists that rather than field its top players in one side, they were mixed across the teams to make for a more level playing field.

A survey of parents and players was completed following the season and a Nelson Bays age grade council was formed, consisting of representatives from clubs and Nelson and Waimea Colleges.

The council voted 9-2 in favour to trial club-only competitions for U14, U15 and U16 this year.

Its decision was ratified by the Tasman Rugby Union.

The two opposing votes came from Nelson College and the Nelson Rugby Football Club.

“So, this decision was not made lightly and follows three years of robust discussion, trials, surveys and reviews,” Jimmy says.

It sounds an exhausting process, but it isn’t a done deal according to Richard Washington.

He confirms Nelson College has approached New Zealand Rugby asking it to intervene, with the ball now in the court of NZR Community Rugby general manager Steve Lancaster.

A Zoom meeting has been set for later this month to discuss the issue.
“We would like the NZR to establish a new and fairer independent club status application process for age grade competitions after being the only boy’s college in the country to be excluded from Saturday play.”

“I understand clubs’ concerns about player recruitment and retention and that is why I wrote to the TRU last year to say that students are free to play for clubs if they want to. The vast majority chose to play for their school,” says Richard, who is proud of Nelson College’s history of producing top flight rugby players.

But the NBRSU has released the findings from its survey, suggesting the gap is not that big.

Nelson College U14 and U15 players were asked if they had a choice would they play for school, club or both. Of those who responded, 37 per cent said they would turn out for their school, 32 per cent for club and 31 per cent for both. There’s still a chance Nelson College will have one team playing in the club age grade competition this year with an invitation for the school’s 2nd XV to contest the U18 grade.