Annual Report and Statement Of
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ANNUAL REPORT AND STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS 2020 A YEAR 17,500 35,675 2020IN NUMBERS 395,000 TEAMS 111 20 AFFILIATED 2 9,249 REFEREES REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS REGISTERED PLAYERS 1 NATIONAL SQUAD REFEREES 477 BODIES 8,031 MALE, 1,218 FEMALE 1 BLACK FERNS DEVELOPMENT 1 BLACK FERNS SEVENS 19 7 Manusina Samoa XV 5 5 2 Tonga XV 527,800 1 NZ Maori STAFF ALL BLACKS BLACK FERNS 2 Moana Pasifika WELLINGTON POPULATION 3 NZ Secondary Schools SUPER RUGBY COACHES 4 NZ Schools Barbarians 20 PLAYERS 785 Contents List of Officers 2 Honours and Awards 3 Chairperson’s Report 5 Rugby Board Chairperson’s Report 7 Team Reports: Wellington Lions 10 Wellington Pride 14 Wellington Secondary Schools Rugby 17 Junior Rugby Advisory Board 19 Wellington Rugby Referees’ Association 20 2020 Club Grade Winners 21 Post Season Club Competitions 22 Men’s Club Champions 23 Women’s Club Champions 24 Obituaries 25 Financial Reports 26 Wellington Rugby Football Union (Incorporated) Annual Report 2020 1 Wellington Rugby Football Union (Inc.) President Vice Presidents: I. Dallas Murray Blandford A. Davidson Ms. I. Hansen M. Isberg K. Walsh Board of Directors Staff as at 31 December 2020 Rugby Board R. Poole M. Evans S. Surujpal (Chairperson) (Chief Executive Officer) (Chairperson) R. Jamieson (Deputy Chairperson) L. Crowley (Lions Head Coach & Director of Rugby) S. Fuller (Deputy Chairperson, Wellington) D. Banks D. Birnie (Commercial Manager) T. O’Kane (Avalon) S. Fuller T. Blake (Commercial Executive) D. Latham (Centurions) M. Hartley J. Dickie (Lions Head Strength & Conditioning Coach) M. Sliper (Eastbourne) P. Hendry T. Ellison (Lions Assistant Coach & Community D. Rose (Hutt Old Boys Marist) Ms. C. Rossiter-Stead Resources) B. Hannah (Johnsonville) S. Surujpal G. Heikell (Community Rugby Liaison Officer M. Tocker (Marist St. Pats) – Development) J. Callahan (Northern United) B. McLachlan (Finance Manager) R. Gordon (Old Boys University) M. Langley (Community Rugby Liaison Officer J. Willis (Oriental Rongotai) Life Members – Capability) J. Gray (Paremata-Plimmerton) J. Marshall (Lions Strength & Conditioning Coach) W. Smith (Petone) B.T. Frederikson (2005) J. McKee (Office Manager) M.Warrington (Poneke) A.R. Leslie (2008) E. Paisley (Community Rugby Operations Officer) G. Hardie (Stokes Valley) J. Oldershaw (1993) M. Poutoa (Lions Team Manager and Women’s High K. Pulley (Tawa) E.J. Tonks (1991) Performance Manager) D. Ritchie (Upper Hutt Rams) M.J. Usmar (2012) J. Schmitt (Events & Match Manager) C. Wright (Wainuiomata) N. W. Hughes (2012) V. Serengali (Video Analyst) T. Walsh (Western Suburbs) P.B. Quinn (2012) B. Sigmund (Professional Development Manager) M. Fairmaid (WRRA) R.M. Barlow (2014) D. Waller (Lions Assistant Coach & Community M. Isberg (WSSRU) D. Evans (2015) Resources) L. Barry (JRAB) W. Guppy (2018) D. Walsh (Community Rugby & Referee Support Officer) R. Whatarau (High Performance Unit Manager) Wellington Rugby Football Union (Incorporated) Annual Report 2020 2 Honours and Awards Representative Team Coaches Honours MOANA PASIFIKA: Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Vince Aso WELLINGTON LIONS: ALL BLACKS: Leo Crowley, Tamati Ellison, Greg Halford Asafo Aumua, Dane Coles, TJ Perenara, MANUSINA SAMOA XV: & Dion Waller Ardie Savea, Peter Umaga-Jensen Ana-Maria Afuie, Beryl Ena, Josephine Falesita, Nina Foaese, Gene Solia-Gibb, Janet Taumoli, WELLINGTON PRIDE: BLACK FERNS: Xavier Tusa Ross Bond, Aaron Jones & Brendan Reidy Ayesha Leti-I’iga, Joanah Ngan-Woo, Marcelle Parkes, Jackie Patea-Fereti, Monica Tagoai TONGA XV: Emma Hopoi, Amania Mafi Auditors BLACK FERNS SEVENS: Dhys Faleafaga NEW ZEALAND SECONDARY SCHOOLS: Ernst & Young Hanz Leota, Riley Higgins, Siale Lauaki BLACK FERNS DEVELOPMENT: Amanda Rasch NEW ZEALAND SCHOOLS BARBARIANS: Bradley Crichton, Christian Stenhouse, Solicitors MAORI ALL BLACKS: Dominic Ropeti, Owen Wright Gibson Sheat Billy Proctor Wellington Rugby Football Union (Incorporated) Annual Report 2020 3 Honours and Awards 2020 Wellington Rugby Award Winners Women’s Sevens Player of the Year Sir William Perry Memorial Trophy Men’s Club Rookie of the Year Grace Steinmetz (Northern United) Oriental Rongotai Aidan Morgan (Marist St Pats) Men’s Sevens Player of the Year Junior Rugby Volunteer of the Year Women’s Best & Fairest Player Award Esi Komaisavai (Northern United) Craig Le Quesne (Western Suburbs) Montana Heslop (Old Boys University) & Ayesha Leti-I’iga (Oriental Rongotai) Women’s HPU Best Performer Senior Rugby Volunteer of the Year Fa’asua Makisi (Oriental Rongotai) Wayne Smith (Petone) & Graeme Hardie (Stokes Valley) Billy Wallace Memorial Trophy (Men’s Best & Fairest Player Award) Women’s HPU Best Philosophy Referee of the Year Bruce Kauika-Petersen (Northern United) Jackie Patea-Fereti (Petone) Richard Gordon & Sam Reid (Old Boys University) Al Keown Award Club Coach of the Year WRFU Lifetime Contribution Salver Caleb Delany (Old Boys University) Barry Luke (Eastbourne U85kg Restricted) Peter Scott Ken Comber Memorial Cup Club Team of the Year Hugo Plummer (Tawa) Oriental Rongotai Women Dewar Shield Women’s Club Rookie of the Year Old Boys University Josephine Falesita (Oriental Rongotai) Wellington Rugby Football Union (Incorporated) Annual Report 2020 4 Chairperson’s Report 2020 was a year like no other for rugby, and life, in flexibility, inventiveness and passion for our game and Mareena Conley and team support staff for the hours of New Zealand. our communities. These people along with our hard- volunteer time that you all put into the 2020 season. working volunteers ensured Wellington Rugby enjoyed Rugby is known as a game of two halves, one of which Thanks also to our employed High-Performance staff, a very good club season again, culminating in what has is often battling into a strong Wellington southerly. In along with their many volunteer helpers for their passion become a not to be missed finals day. 2020 somebody forgot to tell the referee to blow for for our game that sees them contribute far beyond what half time and give us a spell with the wind behind our In the High-Performance space our Wellington Lions their contracts require. backs, and I want to thank the staff and volunteers for just got pipped with results of other matches not falling In the club space, two of our Under 85kg teams; Avalon their collective unwavering determination to not let the their way and allowing them a semi-final. What a last & Eastbourne, made it to the NZR U85kg National “elements” overcome us. Your efforts were of All Blacks round of matches it was, that had us all sitting in front of Club Cup semi-finals. I encourage all in our rugby proportion! the TV working through the permutations. environment to get behind this grade and think of it as I also want to acknowledge and thank the staff that we Our only other representative team; the Wellington Pride a future Premier weight restricted grade, as I believe it’s lost last year as a consequence of our need to resize finished third in their pool having lost two round robin critical in growing our participation rates. our operation as we worked our way through a myriad games. Due to the North/South competition format As far as our 18 clubs fare, grassroots rugby continues of headwinds and a constantly evolving future. We lost played this meant they missed out on a semi-final spot as a staple in our communities across the region, albeit some amazingly passionate staff and among these was as only the top two progressed from each conference. experiencing significant one-off challenges associated a man who gave his all for WRFU over 15 odd years – Sadly, due to COVID-19 none of our other HP teams with COVID-19. I want to acknowledge the work done Will Caccia-Birch. Thank you all for your service. got to play. I want to thank Ross Bond, his Assistants by the army of club volunteers and referees who To the staff remaining I congratulate you on your Brendon Reidy and Aaron Jones, and Manager without your contribution we would not be able to play our game. I have personally gained the majority of my lifelong friendships through my association with rugby and I will work unwaveringly to make volunteering in rugby a passion and fun filled experience for all those involved. Imagine this headline… “Wellington struggles to provide enough games each week for referees as referee numbers soar in Wellington Community Rugby” A special mention to the volunteers that continue to put their hand up to administer our club finals day alongside Management. Well done and thank you to all involved. In terms of participation, it is not sensible to take 2020 as a normal year due to the changed club season impacting on players ability and/or desire to participate. One thing is certain, we will need to better understand how the current, and future, generations want to engage with the game of rugby and ensure we have options available that meet these needs. Wellington Rugby Football Union (Incorporated) Annual Report 2020 5 Chairperson’s Report If we were to take the analogy of a music store, no shop meaning no crowd, and then in October against also 2021. For this reason, a breakeven budget for 2021 selling just music on cassette players or 45”s would Australia with a near sell-out crowd. Thank you to all has been approved by the BOD which will require some survive today, but that is not to say a shop selling these staff for yet again putting on a great event, and we look careful management. products but also offering the latest ways to consume forward to hosting a test again in 2021. I also thank the staff for the salary sacrifices they took music would not thrive in 2021 and beyond. The same Financially, for the year ending 31 December 2020 throughout 2020, and the Mayors of Upper Hutt City, applies to rugby.