BY
PETER JONES [ via MARLBOROUGH APP]
For
the first time since the club’s inception in 1994, there will be no Harlequins
team in premier rugby ranks this season.
The
Quins have decided not to field a premier team in either the Marlborough
sub-union competition or Tasman Trophy competition after weighing up their
available resources for the forthcoming season. They will enter a side in the
division two competition.
Harlequins’
acting chairman Greg Newman said the "writing was on the wall” at the end
of the 2017 season when the club were forced to default games due to lack of
player numbers.
"We
had struggled through the season with primarily a division two side playing in
premier … the numbers just weren’t there.
"We
certainly had every intention of putting a premier side on the park this year
but we couldn’t get any commitment from the existing group of players to play
at that level. Trying to resource a whole team from outside of the area was
beyond us at this stage … so we see 2018 as a season where we will play
division two rugby and hopefully field a competitive side there, with guys who
actually want to play division two rugby.
"We
will look to rebuild from there … we will look to recruit a pretty good coach
that we can use in a rugby development role, and hopefully attract a few
players from outside the district also.”
Newman
said he had met with Mako coach Leon MacDonald and Tasman Rugby Union officials
to discuss the club’s situation and he felt they all parties wanted Harlequins
back in the premier competition as quickly as possible, but admitted the onus
was on the club itself to remedy the situation.
Since
the club came into being 24-years ago through the amalgamation of the Old Boys,
Opawa and Redwood clubs it has enjoyed plenty of success and has produced many
outstanding performers. Four All Blacks (MacDonald, David Hill, Tim Perry and
Atu Moli) have worn the multi-coloured jersey, plus Maori All Black and
Highlanders TV personality Joe Wheeler and several other Super Rugby players
including Tristan Moran, Viliami Lolohea, Andrew Makalio and Hayden Cripps.
Harlequins
has a strong junior section, with plenty of parental support, and the club is
in good heart, according to Newman. "The core people are in place but,
don’t get me wrong, we have a bloody big challenge in front of us.”
Tasman
Rugby Union chief executive officer Tony Lewis said that while he was
"extremely disappointed” Harlequins had pulled out of premier ranks, their
decision "gave everyone an opportunity to take a couple of deep breaths
and work out how [the union] can assist Harlequins to get themselves
operationally back on board within a year”.
"That’s
our aim. It was only two years ago that both Awatere and Renwick were
struggling and we worked very hard with both clubs. They opened up their doors
and welcomed us in, got good people in good positions and they have managed to
get themselves off the floor.
"So
we are hoping this opportunity will be the same with Harlequins.”