By Glenn McLean

Taranaki Rugby will head to the market before the end of the year as the search begins for a new head coach following the departure of Willie Rickards. Rickards’ three-year term as head coach of the Yarrows Taranaki Bulls ended after he opted to not re-apply for the job following the end of the 2020 Mitre Cup season. Taranaki Rugby chairman Andrew Thompson and chief executive Laurence Corlett said the union was already fielding a number of enquiries from prospective coaches interested in the job, both from throughout New Zealand as well as overseas.

The pair were optimistic they could have someone appointed by as early as February before a new coaching group was announced. The high level of interest, combined with a healthier-looking financial position, an improvement in on-field performance, the retention of a large number of the squad for the 2021 season and positive commercial partner feedback has Thompson and Corlett optimistic the union was heading in the right direction.

“We are really excited about next year,” Thompson said. “We will go into the year with money in the bank following the MSD (Ministry of Social Development) grant and the support of the local business community.” The grant money was applied for by Taranaki Rugby after it suffered a significant income loss attributed to Covid-19 restrictions.

Community rugby was well supported by the TSB Community Trust, Pelorus Trust, New Zealand Community Trust, Southern Trust, The Lion Foundation and the Taranaki Community Rugby Trust. This allowed Taranaki Rugby to deliver a number of grassroots programmes to the community as well as a number of representative campaigns for the Port Taranaki Whio, First Gas Taranaki Under 16, Taranaki Maori and Taranaki Pasifika teams.

A Sport Resilience Grant from Sport Taranaki, coupled with New Plymouth Raceway agreeing to give the union a three-month lease relief at its temporary home, also contributed to Taranaki Rugby being able to go into the black for the year, Corlett said.

“We have had a lot of help from within the community to help get us through, and we are extremely grateful for that,” he added. The stark reality for the union was that without the injection, the union would have “had to shut up shop,” Corlett said.

“It has allowed us to survive and it will allow us to function throughout 2021,” Thompson added.  We see a far more sustainable future in our rugby business going forward.

While the union continued to be restricted by a lack of income from not being able to use Yarrow Stadium, it continued to pursue options of increasing income streams while it played Mitre 10 Cup matches at Inglewood’s TET Stadium & Events Centre.

There also continued to be uncertainty around the structure of the 2021 Mitre 10 Cup and beyond, but both administrators were confident it would still be a valid and exciting competition.

The pair were also encouraged by the 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa squads which featured 13 Taranaki players.

“If we can keep the core of our squad together, which we have done so far with the number of players contracted for 2021, then I really believe we will continue to get a lot better,” Corlett said.

Thompson was also encouraged by the work the front room staff were continuing to do.

“They have done a great job in what has been an extremely challenging year. The feedback we have got from our commercial partners in our surveys has been positive, and it shows they are engaged with us. I think we are ticking a lot of boxes.”

Article added: Monday 14 December 2020