Nelson College considering breakaway rugby move

Frustrated at New Zealand Rugby delays in resolving the playing for school or club wrangles, Nelson College is seriously considering forming its own internal competition.

Effectively that would be a breakaway rebel league, quipped one parent after attending a special meeting at the college hall last night.

More than 200 players and parents turned up following the NZR’s decision not to rule on Nelson College’s bid to overturn the Nelson Bays Sub-union move to ban its U14, U15 and U16 sides from the local age grade competition.

The sub-union argued the college was draining the ability of local clubs to secure enough players to field their own teams in the age grade competitions.

The college had asked rugby’s governing body to intervene but after wading through lengthy submissions for and against, the NZR instead referred the issue to an independent mediator.

Time to resolve the issue is running out with age-grade rugby due to start in early May.

In an email to the college, the NZR admitted one side would be unhappy with the outcome.

Nelson College was already unhappy and called last night’s meeting to update players and their parents on developments.

School principal Richard Washington rushed back from an education meeting in Christchurch and made a passionate 20-minute presentation.

A great sales pitch commented one parent, insisting Nelson College uses rugby as a tool to attract students to the school.

He and Nelson College Board of Trustees presiding member, Richard Smith, then fielded questions from parents for 40 minutes.

Richard Washington says one option is for the college to start up its own internal competition for its U14 and U15 players, four teams in each playing each other.

School “old boys” could referee those matches.

Games against sides from Christchurch could also be held.

Last year Nelson College only field three U14 teams and ended up with only two U16 sides.

“The internal competition is looking more and more likely as the debate gets dragged out,” said Richard Washington immediately after the hour-long meeting.

Another option was sending all those players to register with the Nelson Club which was the only one to support the college when the move went to a vote at a Nelson Bays Sub-union meeting late last year.

In the meantime, Nelson College has agreed to go to mediation, which is set to start next week.

“We hope that process will resolve the issue,” says Richard Smith.

Some parents aren’t as optimistic.

As one parent commented at the meeting last night, they just want certainty about what is going to happen. They just want a decision made to end the drawn-out dispute.

The Nelson Bays Sub-union wasn’t surprised to hear of the proposed breakaway league, but confirmed there had been no consultation.