Pdrfc 2009 Financial Report

2009 ANNUAL REPORT

Back row: Willie UILI • DANIEL NAMOA (Gear Technician) • Tyrone NGALUAFE • Richard TONGA • Sam FIFITA • Jordan PULEATUA

4th row: Chay RAUI • Paul WILLIAMS • Ben BACON • Chris LOWREY • Jay WILLIAMS • Sam ANANIA • Brad TAUWHARE • Pom SIMONA

3rd row: Dennis MANSFIELD (Statistician) • Tevita HUFANGA • Iosefo PASINA • Sione MAU • Roger TUAMOHELOA • Bryan WILLIAMS (Director of Rugby) • Benson STANLEY • Sam LAWRENCE • Doug TAUSILI • Taylor MOSEN • Scott TURNER (Assistant Manager)

2nd row: Chad TUORO • Jordan STEVENS (Physiotherapist) • Winston STANLEY • Danny ELIA • Leo TALIU • Daniel

BOWDEN • Matiu WALTERS • Ciarun OVERTON (Gear Technician) • Randell KAMEA • Monique SELL (Assistant Manager) • Greg EDMONDS (Manager)

Front row: Adam SIDDALL • Lio KAIHAU • Simon SCOTT (Head Coach) • Tevita FINAU • Mark HOOPER (Captain) • Brett WILLIAMS (Vice Captain) • Grant HANSEN (Assistant Coach) • Viliama KINAHOI • Ricky McCAMISH

Absent: Tom WILEY • Josh BROWN • Johnny MEREDITH • Danny VAKAWATI (Masseur)

PREMIER TEAM - 2009WINNERS: AUCKLAND RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION PREMIER CHAMPIONSHIP, GALLAHER SHIELD

FRED ALLEN CHALLENGE TROPHY, ALAN McEVOY SHIELD, WAKA NATHAN TROPHY

Proudly Sponsored by:Urgent Couriers, Powerade, Debit Success, Multitrans, Inshape

Ponsonby District Rugby Football Club (Inc.)

Games Points Played 20 Won 20 Undefeated For 693 Against 162

2009 ANNUAL REPORT

Ponsonby DistrictRugby Football Club (Inc.)

2 Ponsonby District Rugby Football Club (Inc.)

OFFICERS OF THE CLUB

PATRON: Mr P L Tetzlaff

VICE PATRONS: M E Scott, P J Adrian, K A Nelson, M H Mains, R W Paterson,

P K Harwood and A W Rickard

PRESIDENT: Mr B G Williams

VICE PRESIDENTS: T Aitken, N Bowden, J Campbell, M Cleary, B J Craies, M J Dick, A M Haden, B C Lough,

B J Murray, G Penney, M W Trapp, B R Wentworth, R Whetton, J White, P J Whiting

and G M Willoughby

CHAIRMAN: Mr P H Thorp

LIFE MEMBERS: M E Scott, D F Johnston, Dr L Drake, J Bourke, R W Paterson, B G Williams, T E Paterson,

P J Adrian, K A Nelson, M H Mains, A Tupu, N Wolfgram, D F J Ward,

P K Harwood, C Williams, C T Partridge

TRUSTEES: Mr G McCurrach (Chairman)

Mr P H Thorp

Mr B G Williams

Mr B R Wentworth

Mr A White

HON SOLICITORS: K McDonald, A Roberts and B G Williams

HON BARRISTER Mr P H Thorp

HON TREASURER: Mr M Lomas

HON AUDITOR: Ronald Yee

HON DOCTORS: Dr L Drake and Dr S Kara

HON DENTIST: Mr K Nelson

HON PHYSIO: Tanya Browne

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE: P Thorp (Chairman), D Atkins, B Banks, C Clews, M Darin, M Froggatt,

H Heeney, J Huch, S Ioane, M Lomas, D Mansfield, B Matchett, K Olliver, C Partridge,

S Thomas, C Watt, B Williams, C Williams, I Derbidge (Secretary / Manager)

32009 ANNUAL REPORT

NOTICE OF MEETING

AGENDA

Notice is hereby given that:

The Annual General Meeting Of the Ponsonby District Rugby Football Club (Inc)

Will take place on Wednesday, 18 November 2009 at 7.30 p.m.

In the Clubrooms, Western Springs Stadium, Stadium Road, Western Springs.

1. Apologies

2. Obituaries

3. Address by the ARFU Representative

4. Confirmation of the Minutes of the 2008 AGM

5. Adoption if thought fit of the Annual Report and Financial Statement for the year ended 30 September 2009

6. Report from Trustees

7. Appointment of Auditor

8. Election of Officers

9. General Business

I. C. Derbidge

Secretary/Manager

Cover: Premiers’ Adam Siddall, Photography courtesy Dennis Mansfield


PRESENT: The President Dr. P. K. Harwood, Life Members: John Ward, Phil Adrian (Minute Secretary), Craig Partridge, Dr. Lloyd Drake, Ces Williams, Alfred Tupu and 23 members.

APOLOGIES: were received from Jack Campbell, Bryan Williams, Jack Bourke, Athol Rickard, John Gillies, Keith Nelson, Chris Clews, Garry Barr, Brian Craies, Mike Lomas, Mark Darin, Don Johnston, Hayd Bennetts, Max Mains, David Atkins, and Jack Huch.

OBITUARIES: Phil Adrian spoke about the passing of Bevan Short who played many games for the Senior Team and coached after his retirement.

An unbroken run of 41 games during 1985, 86 and 87 by our Senior Team, coached by Bevan, still stands as a record for the Auckland Rugby Union.

The passing of George Coughlan was noted. George’s family had a great affiliation with Ponsonby and George was a member of the Old Boys and Supporters Association.

Members stood in silence as a mark of respect.

AUCKLAND RUGBY UNION: Mr. Gary Whetton spoke on behalf of the Union and advised that after supplying $725,000 to the various clubs there would only be a small profit.

The 125-year celebrations had been a great success.

The Blues team had met their budget. A semi-final and or final would have made a big financial boost. Eden Park is changing rapidly and there will be some difficulties for the next 2 years.

The Air New Zealand Cup team showed that there was not enough depth in Auckland with so many players going overseas and to other provinces.

The new club rugby competition was a success and he congratulated Ponsonby on their fifth successive Gallaher Shield win.

Mr. Whetton asked that we support the North South Trust as they make a big contribution to Auckland rugby.

He thanked the delegates for their work and congratulated the club on another great season.

In response to a question Mr. Whetton replied that as yet there was no coach for the Air NZ team.

To another question he answered that the Union were in the process of obtaining a representative on the NZ Union.

Mr. Whetton had no answer to the question: “How can we stop players leaving?”

The President, Dr. Peter Harwood thanked Mr. Whetton for his address, which was confirmed by acclamation.

MINUTES OF THE 2007 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: These had been recorded in the annual report and were approved as a true and correct record.

There was no business arising from those minutes.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT: Dr. Harwood thanked all those who had assisted in the running of the club during his tenure as President.

In particular he thanked Ian Derbidge, Bryan Williams and Peter Thorp for the way they had the club running as a well-oiled machine.

He briefly referred to the economic downturn that had affected the finances of the club both through the reduction of assistance from the Union and from the failure of finance companies. The latter had resulted in a write off of $300,000 in the accounts.

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT: Mr. Thorp said he looked forward to the World Cup in New Zealand in 2011 and wondered what role our club would play at that time.

Our lease has been extended to 2012 however there was an interest from the Auckland Cricket Association to come to Western Springs. He felt that such a move would be detrimental to both Speedway and the club.

He too paid tribute to the efforts of Ian Derbidge and Bryan Williams. Ponsonby was the first to have a Director of Rugby and this had been a great success. Ian continued to run the club in all departments.

The financial situation was dominated by one item already referred to by Dr. Peter Harwood. He also reported on difficulties with the North South Trust and suggested that we must look for alternative finance.

TRUSTEES: Mr. Peter Thorp also reported on the Trustees.

Mr. Richard Endean had resigned and Mr. Alan White elected in his stead.

Bryan Williams and Peter Thorp are the representatives of the club while Messrs. Grant McCurrach (Chairman), Mr. Brian Wentworth and Alan White are not immediately connected to the club.

Peter answered one or two questions related to the failure of investment companies.

It was moved by Tom Aitken and seconded by John White that the Annual Report and Financial Statement be adopted. CARRIED

Peter Thorp moved that the Trustees action of the appointment of Alan White be confirmed. Seconded by Peter Harwood. CARRIED

MINUTES OF THE 2009 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

52009 ANNUAL REPORT

APPOINTMENT OF AUDITOR: Ronald Yee was re-appointed on the motion of Peter Thorp seconded by Peter Harwood. CARRIED

ELECTION OF OFFICER: The Patron Mr. Percy Tetzlaff was unanimously re-elected while Dr. Peter Harwood was added to the Vice Patrons.

All Vice Presidents and Honorary Officers as listed were re-elected.

Dr. Harwood nominated Bryan Williams for the position of President seconded by Phil Adrian. CARRIED

Bryan was overseas so Peter Harwood continued as chairman of the meeting.

The following were elected to the Management Committee: S.

Thomas, R. Banks, B.G. Williams, C. Williams, D. Mansfield, C. Watt, W. Black, K. Olliver and P.Thorp.

No nomination form had been received for Mr. Chris Clews but he would be co-opted to the Management Committee.

GENERAL BUSINESS: Peter Thorp spoke about the great contribution the outgoing President Peter Harwood had made during his term. He mentioned in particular the Strategic Plan, the electronic scoreboard and the Letterkenny exchange programme.

CLOSURE: There being no further business the outgoing President thanked members for their attendance and declared the meeting closed at 8.40pm

Chairman Peter Thorp presents Ben Bacon with the Jack Nicholson Memorial Cup for 2009 Premier best Team Man.


N.J.G.Bowden. The passing of our President Noel Bowden on the 9th October still came as a shock even though Noel had not been active in our Association for some years. We extend our very sincere condolences to Noel’s family. His obituary will be in another part of this report.

On the field:Our famous club keeps on adding glory to its already great reputation.Six Gallaher Shields under three different coaches by itself is an achievement that is unsurpassed in the history of Auckland rugby.Is there a club in New Zealand that has equalled that record? Maybe someone knows.Added to that is the record of the lower grade teams. The number of teams that made finals will surely mean that Ponsonby will once again win the Silver Football trophy.Perhaps the most telling result for the club is that of the Under 21’s who won their championship at the curtain raiser to the final. A narrow win but a win none the less. This bodes well for the future.So congratulations to all the players, coaches and managers, not forgetting the vast number of people who assist with the more mundane tasks involved in running a rugby team: the medical staff, the record keeper, the gear man and many others. While rugby is now a professional game, at club level we are strictly amateur and totally dependent on volunteers who give up their time for the love of the game. The very sincere thanks from the supporters must go to all who make rugby at Ponsonby possible and make us feel proud to be part of it.The 2009 records will show that Ponsonby collected the following trophies:Gallaher Shield, Alan McEvoy Shield, Fred Allen Cup, Waka Nathan Cup, Under 21 Championship Winners Cup, Under 12 Championship Winners Cup, Under 85kg Speights Bowl, Women’s Plate Final, Jack Cox Memorial Cup, Tom Johns Cup and the Kevin Millhouse Cup.

More HonoursBryan Williams was selected as Vice President of the NZ Rugby Union and this means that he will be President during the World Cup year. A great and well-deserved honour for Beegee that reflects well on our club.

Legend LuncheonIt is many years ago since we organised a reunion of all the Ponsonby players who played for the Auckland Rugby Union. A similar function to honour our All Blacks was held in September and a grand occasion it was.Congratulations to the organising committee who did a great job.Master of Ceremonies, John Campbell did a marvellous job in introducing and interviewing our past All Blacks. Bob Scott almost stole the show with his humour but there was plenty of time for Bryan Williams, Andy Haden, Joe Stanley, Craig Innes, Inga Tuigamala, Keith Nelson, Matthew Ridge, Mark Brooke-Cowden, Malcolm Dick and our late President Noel Bowden.We hope that there will be a DVD available so that the occasion will not be forgotten.Talking about DVDs, reminds me that the Old Boys are endeavouring to get several club finals on DVD as well as a video of the old clubrooms in Blake Street.We are hoping that this venture might become a fundraiser for our Association.

ThanksWe thank all those who contributed so generously to our funds.In the past year we have arranged for the AUT Scholarship to be, now displayed in the clubroom. We have spent money on the All Black and Black Ferns photos and had a 1905 Championship photo retouched and copied.The Old Boys also paid for the relaying of the TV cables in the clubrooms and of course the usual sign writing jobs.Last Christmas we distributed 35 boxes of chocolates to our widows and older members. These were donated by Pak ’N Save Mt Albert. Please support our sponsor if you are able.Lastly our thanks to those who supported the Bonus Number fundraiser. Even without the help of Athol, Craig managed to fill the forty numbers required.We look forward to your support in 2010.

Phil Adrian,President

REPORT FROM THE OLD BOYS & SUPPORTERS ASSOCIATION

72009 ANNUAL REPORT

OBITUARIESPERCY TETZLAFF. 30 August 2009. Our Patron, Past President, Life Member, All Black, Coach, Committee member and general benefactor.Percy was born in Taupiri and educated in the Huntly district and while this was and is a League stronghold, surprisingly Percy played rugby. Probably through the influence of Huntly College, the principal of which I was able to put in touch with Percy and consequently his name was added to the honours board of the school.Percy made his representative debut for Waikato as an 18 year old in 1939 and was chosen as one of the “Five Promising Players” of the 1939 season.He moved to Auckland in 1940 and played all of the Auckland games in that season despite stiff competition from players such as Doc Paewai and Des Barchard.He played for the North Island in 1943 and 44, the last as captain. He also captained a New Zealand side that played against NZ Combined Forces.He played in the first All Black team that travelled by air when he was chosen in 1947 for the All Blacks to play two tests in Australia.After that tour he retired from representative rugby and concentrated on Ponsonby. He was captain of that fabulous 1948 team, described on the All Black website as one of the best Ponsonby sides ever to win the Gallaher Shield. They scored 103 tries in 18 games.Percy was an engineer and never failed to produce whatever was required by the club, always forgetting to send a bill.When the extensions were built in Blake Street, it became necessary to have a fire escape and Percy built and installed that. He also had a lot to do with the manufacture of the beer-lift.In the days when the rugby club was the centre of social life Percy was an active part of it. There are many anecdotes involving Percy from those days and some of these were related at his funeral.

ATHOL RICKARD. To lose two Life Members in one year is a real blow. While Percy had not attended the club for quite some time, the reverse was the case with Athol. After the passing of his wife, Gwen, Athol made Western Springs his home. He could be seen there at various times during the week and permanently on the weekends (unless he was watching a game on another ground). Athol was chairman of the Junior section of the club for many years and would not relinquish that post until after he had

groomed his successor and we all know what a good job Craig Partridge did after Athol stood down.He was a great help to the club in many different ways. He served for many years on the Management Committee and when chosen to be President attended as many as games he could squeeze in the day. He was a familiar sight to all coaches and managers and knew them all. Athol’s funeral was held in the clubrooms attended by many club members, both young and old as well as family and friends.

NOEL BOWDEN. Noel was a member of the 1954 team: “The team that won everything”. Noel was a teacher and as such he was posted in different parts of the North Island. He first represented Waikato then Auckland and also played for Taranaki, from which union he was selected for the All Blacks in 1952. Noel died on the 9th October, the day Auckland played Taranaki and silence was observed by the players of both unions on that day.Noel showed early talent for rugby and after joining Auckland Grammar played 4 years in the 1st XV. During that time he also set a record for the long-jump which has not been bettered to this day.Noel had great love for several sports but yachting, tennis and badminton were favourites. He still played tennis while well into his seventies.Noel travelled widely and had a special affinity with Canada where he played and coached rugby.Noel was President of the Ponsonby Old Boys and Supporters Association since 1999.

JACK NUTTALL. Known to us all as Snow, he was in his 89th year when he died.He was also a member of that fabulous 1948 team and a good number of his teammates were at his funeral. He served for a number of years on the Management Committee.

GEORGE COWARD. George was remembered by Max Mains as a player of small stature but with a big heart.The NZ Herald carried an obituary: “A much respected player of the Ponsonby Rugby Club in the fifties. A staunch front rower. Pity his body was not as big as his heart.”

ALDYTH NELSON. The wife of our very popular Keith Nelson. Our deepest sympathy to Keith, his daughters and grandchildren.


I am extremely honoured and proud to serve you and the club as your President and I am pleased to report to you in the first year of my Presidency.

What a year it has been. To achieve six Gallaher Shield wins in a row is amazing. Congratulations to coaches, Simon Scott, Grant Hansen, Manager, Greg Edmonds, Captain, Mark Hooper and your players. You have made us all extremely proud. I well recall the barren period we had between 1954 and 1976 when the prized trophy eluded us on many occasions so narrowly. We have now learned how to win it and to hold on to it: a combination of culture, pride, history and heritage, hard work, skill, planning, courage, composure under pressure and enjoyment in varying degrees. The formula is difficult to define and often the dividing line between success and failure is so thin. However, our formula has certainly worked for the past few years. To also win the U/21 title, the U/12 Open title, the Women’s 2nd Division title, U/85kg Bowl competition and to do so well in other grades as well is testament to our strength across the grades. The Premier team is the apex at the top of our pyramid but it would not succeed without the foundation built below.

Our Junior Club has again excelled in the way in which teams have presented themselves. The Junior Rugby Committee under Mark Darin does a great job. This year we ran some 35 teams and the way the Juniors are organised from registration day, to match day, to Player of the Month functions, to Silverdale and Ruawai field days, to Annual prizegivings is like a well-oiled military operation.

The Ponsonby Legends lunch this year epitomized what Ponsonby DRFC is all about. We had so many great contributors. The organising committee of Peter Thorp, Chris Clews, Greg Edmonds, Kent Olliver, Mark Darin and Ian Derbidge did a wonderful job voluntarily with special thanks to Chris Clews and his company DE Group for donating the staging, lighting and audio visual display. John Campbell, a parent, was MC and donated his time and effort . The Junior Committee provided service for the function. So many others contributed to what was a magnificent and moving occasion. To have 15 of our All Blacks present, headed by Bob Scott and Noel Bowden, together with so many legends of the game made for one of our most memorable occasions ever.

The Club is planning for its future. We have had various meetings with the Auckland City Council in respect of our tenure of the premises at Western Springs, upgrading of clubrooms and changing facilities and our role in Rugby World Cup 2011. Those matters are progressing well and we will report progress to you as it happens.

I would like to make a special mention of our chairman, Peter Thorp. Peter’s chairmanship is decisive and forthright but interlaced with humour and humanity. He never gets ruffled and the Club’s success over the last number of years is in no small measure due to him. Sincere thanks, Pete.

I would also like to make special mention of Ian Derbidge, our Club manager. I have had the good fortune to work with him for close on nine years now and I can vouch for his efficiency, honesty, diligence and humour. Ponsonby would not have achieved the success it has this last decade without Ian Claude Derbidge. Thanks, Derbs.

I report to you later in the Annual Report as your Director of Rugby so before that some special thank yous. These people make our Club tick.

My special thanks to :

1) Our ARU delegates, Ces Williams (Senior) and Craig Watt and Geoff Buchanan (Junior) for all the extra time you put in on our behalf.

2) The club manager Ian Derbidge, and to John Allen, Brent and Yvonne Holden and other staff for the great service to the Club. It is a pleasure to work with you.

(3) Chairman, Peter Thorp and treasurer, Mike Lomas and the Management and Executive Committees for the wise counsel and direction. You guys do a great job and I thank you sincerely.

(4) All coaches, managers, medical staff and support staff and all the players for upholding the Ponies tradition and pride.

(5) Mark Darin, Pam Adams, Craig Watt, Geoff Buchanan, Leon Wijohn and a very hardworking Junior committee for your untiring efforts.

(6) Our trustees of the Trust Fund who provide time and wise counsel to our Trust Fund, despite some challenging circumstances this year.

(7) Phil Adrian and the Old Boys Association who uphold and maintain the heritage and history of our Club.

(8) All those responsible for the Ponsonby Legends Lunch held at the Club, which honoured our living All Blacks.

(9) All those people who support the Ponies, particularly our sponsors listed elsewhere.

(10) All those people who have contributed to another successful year for the Ponies.

Bryan Williams

President

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2009

92009 ANNUAL REPORT

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 2009

What a year. To win the Gallaher Shield for the sixth year in a row and the eighth time in the last nine years is superb. To also win the Auckland Under 21 championship is phenomenal. The Premiers demolished University in a convincing display and the Under 21s beat favoured Marist in the final moments of the game with a remarkable display of determination and passion.

Our great Club continues to make history and we continue to be privileged indeed to be involved in such an extraordinary unprecedented era. Congratulations to the teams and to their coaches and managers – Simon Scott, Grant Hansen and Greg Edmonds for the Premiers and an impressive team of no less than seven, led by Prabhu Singh, for the Under 21s. I recognised the outstanding efforts of Greg Edmonds by awarding him my annual Chairman’s trophy at our 2009 Senior Prizegiving.

Our Junior section also inspired us all by winning the City Under 12 Open championship. Congratulations to the team and coaches Eddie and Sandra – the Mt Eden Ioanes – for a great achievement.

It always takes an extraordinary effort to win championships at whatever level. It also takes an extraordinary commitment to the ongoing pursuit of excellence by the Club as a whole. We all contribute to our Club to a greater or lesser extent, grateful for the contributions we do receive and not resentful of those we do not. Our combined efforts continue to prove that there really is “no easy Pony”, on and off the field.

An enduring example of the pursuit of excellence is provided by our legendary Director of Rugby, Bryan Williams. Added to his responsibilities this year have been the Presidency of the Club and the Vice-Presidency of NZRFU, both of which roles he has performed well. As Vice-President now, Bryan will be President of NZRFU during RWC2011, which we all know to be an inspired choice for that important time in our rugby history.

A highlight of the year has also been the Ponsonby Legends lunch at which we honoured all our living Ponsonby All Blacks – 26 of a total of 53, 15 of whom attended and were interviewed by our MC, TV3’s John Campbell whose son played in a Ponsonby Under 6 team this year. A sub-committee of Kent Olliver, Mark Darin, Chris Clews, Greg Edmonds, Ian Derbidge and I, assisted by Liz Fitzgerald of NZRFU in helping us to locate and Bryan Williams in following up our All Black guests, worked hard to achieve a magnificent event for which the Club will long be remembered. Many others provided support with product or auction prizes. Particular thanks must go to Chris Clews and his company, DE Group, for the splendid staging, lighting and audio visual display donated for the event. We win respect and admiration on the field by winning championships and we win respect and admiration off the field by occasions such as the lunch.

The lunch also provided a welcome boost to the Club’s finances, which continue to be well monitored by Club Treasurer Mike Lomas. Our finances do, however, continue to be strained by the difficulty in the Ponies Trust fund earning the level of income achieved in previous years and the uncertainty of the fate of some of the assets in which we invested upon the advice of former manager Vestar. The fund is now well managed by Craigs Investment Partners (formerly ABN Amro Craigs) and the Trustees are confident that the assets in which we now invest upon the advice of Craigs do not carry the

unexpected level of risk we found with some of the assets in which we invested upon the advice of Vestar. I thank my fellow Trustees Alan White, Bryan Wentworth, Bryan Williams and Chairman Grant McCurrach for another year of service.

As is the mark of our Club, the ideas are flowing. For example, Junior Committee chairman Mark Darin has suggested a membership drive, particularly amongst our Junior section parents, and the services of Debit Success are to be enlisted to assist in the collection of team fees from the Senior teams. Sponsorship ideas are being pursued and our Club website is still being developed to assist. Thanks to an initiative that commenced with the Junior Committee, the site is now run by Allteams and is proving a step ahead of the site generously established for us many years ago by club stalwart Grant Straker and his company, Straker Interactive.

Our finances are not the only challenge we face. As RWC2011 looms, it is clear that Western Springs Stadium will be the venue for significant activities that will involve disruption during both 2010, when improvements to the Stadium and its facilities are planned, and 2011. We continue to enjoy a strong relationship with the Auckland City Council and have pledged our support to ensuring that Auckland City’s contribution to the event is worthy. We are determined, however, to make our own contribution to the event and to achieve the best outcome long-term from the planned improvements at the Stadium. Included will be the successful negotiation of a new lease beyond 2012 pursuant to the “first right to negotiate” provisions of our present lease and, hopefully, the long awaited provision of extra changing and shower facilities, concerning which I thank Peter Harwood for his thorough submissions to Council Officers. Regrettably, we are unlikely to achieve the also long awaited sand carpeting of the Outer Fields which also featured in Peter’s submissions.

I thank those who have served with me upon the Executive and Management Committees for another year and I particularly thank Senior ARU Delegate Ces Williams for another year of immense contribution. I also thank those who have served with Mark Darin on the Junior Committee and pay particular tribute to the strength of our Junior Committee. Parents from our Junior section contributed significantly to the success of the Ponsonby Legends lunch. I also thank our Old Boys section, led again by Phil Adrian, for another year of faithful service.

Thanks to Milton Froggatt and Jack Huch for their tireless work in raising money for and conducting our successful international Sevens campaigns. The campaigns provide an ideal means of identifying and attracting talent that set us apart from other clubs and will become increasingly important now that Sevens is to become an Olympic sport.

Last, but certainly not least, I again pay tribute to the outstanding work of Club Manager Ian Derbidge and his staff. Ian has worked particularly hard this year to maximize our bar, shop and function returns. He has successfully managed the transition to a new caterer, who also contributed to the success of the Ponsonby Legends lunch by providing superb food and service for the 300 who attended. Ian continues to display an absolute passion for and commitment to our Club and is a Ponsonby legend in his own right.

Peter ThorpChairman


STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2009

2008 EXPENDITURE NOTE 2009 2008 INCOME 2009 $ ADMINISTRATION $ $ $ $ 1,202 A.C.C. 1,103 89,658 BAR Sales 89,443 3,502 Annual Report 3,841 (37,941) Less Purchases (41,667) 2,723 Audit fees 2,000 (9,587) Less Bar Wages 8,454) 684 Bank charges 1,121 (3,184) Less Oper. Expenses (2,597) 3,763 Cleaning 4,390 38,946 36,725 2,793 Clubroom Amenities 3,160 5,000 Consultancy Fees 5,000 16,895 Depreciation 1 & 3 16,081 27,090 SHOP Sales 17,969 9,517 General expenses 9,750 (19,531) Less Purchases (12,082) 4,070 Insurance 4,730 7,559 5,887 25,003 Lease 25,003 11,682 Management Fees-Craigs 4,035 7,311 Office supplies incl printing 3,628 RUGBY INCOME 5,529 Repairs & Maintenance 2,489 14,900 Team Subscriptions 17,978 60,200 Salaries - Admin 63,638 1,604 Touch Rugby 2,547 768 Storage - Memorabillia 2,067 16,504 20,525 8,270 Telephone 7,180 2,280 Trademark - 978 Vehicle & Travel Expenses 1,067 OTHER INCOME 333 Web site expense - 52,477 Grants - ARU 55,476 172,503 TOTAL ADMIN 160,282 2,500 Trophies -Waka Nathan & Fred Allen Cups 5,000 1,168 Grants and sponsorship - team 946 RUGBY 35,466 Grants - club direct 15,000 2,125 Advertising 1,656 15,286 Event - Lunch 21,793 8,397 Ground hire 6,612 25,420 Hire of Facilities 11,525 8,520 Hospitality 9,760 401 Kitchen 26 12,844 Jerseys 10,562 60,726 Interest and Dividends - Craigs 35,264 1,813 Junior rugby 283 24,900 Scholarships - AUT 24,900 2,484 Presentations 4,533 1,395 Subscriptions - Associates 1,919 4,851 Rugby - Management 3,593 947 Sundry Income 1,386 1,720 Rugby Analysis 907 220,685 173,235 34,833 Rugby Director 36,123 3,282 Rugby - Physio - 1,875 Rugby Tournaments (1,816) 24,900 Scholarships - AUT 24,900 4,063 Sundry rugby 4,656 4,585 Training Gear 3,303 116,292 TOTAL RUGBY 105,073 288,794 TOTAL EXPENSES 265,355 283,694 236,372 (5,100) Operating Surplus / (Deficit) (28,983) (300,058) Plus (Less) Investment revaluation (56,495) (305,158) (85,478)

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

These accounts should be read subject to the notes to the accounts.

112009 ANNUAL REPORT

STATEMENT OF MOVEMENTS IN EQUITYFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2009

2008 2009 $ $ 1,557,711 Equity at start of Period 1,252,553 (305,158) Net (Deficit) / Surplus (85,478) 1,252,553 1,167,074

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 30 SEPTEMBER 2009 2008 2009 2008 Note 2009 $ CURRENT LIABILITIES $ $ CURRENT ASSETS $ 19,774 Creditors 11,882 1,500 Cash Floats 1,500 14,985 Grant-Advance 14,985 444 Sundry Debtors 2,226 34,759 26,867 70,188 Bank 63,624 64,442 Bank - Craigs 112,209 35,178 Stock 25,780 171,752 205,339 ACCUMULATED FUNDS 1,252,553 Retained Earnings Carried Forward 1,167,074 910,438 INVESTMENTS 2 796,901 BUILDING, PLANT 205,122 FURNITURE 3 191,701 1,287,312 1,193,941 1,287,312 1,193,941

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED

CHAIRMAN TREASURER

These accounts should be read subject to the notes to the accounts.


For the Year ended 30 September 2009

1. STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The financial statements are for the Ponsonby District Rugby Football Club Inc which is incorporated under the Incorporated Societies Act 1908. The financial statements of the Club have been prepared according to generally accepted accounting practice. The accounting principles recognised as appropriate for the measurement and reporting of earnings and financial position on a historical cost basis have been used, with the exception of certain items for which specific accounting policies have been identified.

(a) Changes in Accounting Policies There have been no changes in accounting policies. All policies have been applied on bases consistent with those used in

the previous year.

(b) Fixed Assets and Depreciation All fixed assets are recorded at cost or valuation less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation rates are as those disclosed

in note 3.

(c) Goods and Services Tax The financial statements have been prepared on a GST exclusive basis.

(d) Inventories Inventories are recognised at the lower of cost, determined on a first in first out basis, and net realisable value.

(e) Receivables Receivables are stated at their estimated realisable value.

2. INVESTMENTS

2009 2008

$ $

NZ Fixed Interest 505,351 461,035

Australasian Equities 186,027 85,917

International Equities 40,710 149,337

International Fixed interest - 30,633

NZ Property 64,813 178,155

International Speciality - 26,096

International Property - 29,265

TOTAL 796,901 960,438

General Provision 50,000

796,901 910,438

The investments are valued at market value as at 30th September 2009.

3. FIXED ASSETS

2009 2008 Accumulated Closing Accumulated Closing Cost Depreciation Book Value Cost Depreciation Book ValueFixtures & Fittings 21,182 19,608 1,574 21,182 19,214 1,968

Office Equipment 24,685 17,939 6,746 22,026 16,252 5,774

Training Shed 318,437 140,109 178,328 318,437 127,372 191,065

Scoreboard 7,895 2,842 5,053 7,895 1,579 6,316

372,199 180,498 191,701 369,539 164,417 205,122

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS


AUDITOR’S REPORT


Report of the Ponies Trustees for the year ended 30th September 2009The year after the ‘Global Credit Crunch’ created extreme volatility to asset values and markets. However we have recently seen some stability return to our portfolio. In reaction to the banking crisis, interest rates have dropped to levels not seen since the early 1960s and this has seen a moderate drop in income for our funds. Equity values have firmed appreciably over the last six months. Our engagement of Craigs Investment Partners (formerly ABN AMRO Craigs) has worked well. We have established a Statement of Investment Policy & Objectives with our Investment Advisors, Nigel Scott and Simon Coulter, which details a conservative approach to the Club’s investments going forward, with a specific focus on income and capital preservation; 70% to fixed income and 30% to growth assets. Nigel and Simon continually monitor our portfolio and the Investment Committee meet with them quarterly to discuss the portfolio and ensure our objectives are being met.We have moved the distressed assets, which have

come out of our relationship with Vestar, into a separate monitored account and we therefore had a working portfolio of approx $758,269. We have drawn down $40,000 for income requirements and the portfolio value as at 30th September was $764,164 which is a weighted return from 25th November 08 of approx 8.84%. This is a very pleasing result given the tough economic environment over the past year.We continue to receive small capital repayments from the $217,000 worth of distressed assets and to-date we have received approx 8% from these Companies.We believe the move to Craigs Investment Partners has been a sound decision by the Investment Committee as we continue to manage the Clubs long-term capital for the benefit of generations to come.

Grant McCurrachChairman of Trustees

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

Ponsonby City and Kelston Under 10 Restricted teams


REPORT FROM THE DIRECTOR OF RUGBY 2009

SIXPEAT! What a magnificent effort from the Premier team. They have repeated their clean sweep of last year by winning the Gallaher Shield, in addition to the Alan McEvoy Trophy (1st Round) and also achieved the unprecedented feat of six Gallaher Shield victories in a row. This has never been achieved before. Not only that, they also retained the Fred Allen Trophy and defended it right through the season. Congratulations to the coaches, Simon Scott and Grant Hansen, captain Mark Hooper and his players, the management team of Greg Edmonds, Scott Turner, Monique Sell, Ciaran Overton, Danny Vakawati, the statistician Dennis Mansfield and to the medical team, physio Jordan Stevens with special thanks to Tanya Browne for the great medical care, not only for the team but for the club at large. You have made us all tremendously proud. Simon Scott went on to become assistant coach of the Auckland Colts and Grant Hansen also was assistant coach of the Black Ferns. They are both destined for higher honours.

The team paced itself well through the season, starting by winning the Waka Nathan knockout tournament. The team gradually built momentum and consistency and by the end of the season were playing with great confidence and composure. The team again had to rebuild from the previous year after losing a number of key players. They were bolstered by some new players and by the return of prominent players who had been playing overseas. So great credit again to the coaches for some astute coaching and providing the direction to enable them to again come out on top. The work ethic and team spirit were always evident. The final against University (won 31-5) was a lesson in composure, structure and teamwork. The victory crowned an exceptional and historic season. Great effort, guys.

The Premier Reserves under Mike Brough and Warrick Black, again supported the Premier team well and went through the season with only one loss. They were favoured to win the final against Waitemata but because Waitemata had been eliminated from the Premier comp the week before, they were able to bolster their ranks and won the final 18-8. The team had a committed and experienced management team. Thanks to Graeme Brough, Graham McGarvey and Nathan Tao for operating so efficiently. Mike and Warrick must be congratulated for bringing the team through to the final.

The Senior 1s under Heath Hooper, Chris Koneferenisi and Phil Bell-Booth as coaches and Damien Green as manager had a good season and came through to make the semi-finals, losing 23-25 to Waiheke. Their preparation was first rate and the team spirit was a joy to behold. Congratulations.

The Senior 2 EPs did well to make the top 4 in Senior 1 Grade. Steve Ioane organised the team and Herati Matapo continued to play for this team. They have a great team spirit and are a credit to the club. They continued their philosophy of not training as a team. It sounds as if a number of the older players may be calling it a day (have we heard that before?).

The Senior 2 Black team ended up making the championship round of Senior 1 giving us three teams in the top seven. They could not quite keep pace with the leading teams. Special thanks to John Tetini (who also coaches a junior team), Liam Afitu and JP Fa’amausili for their organisation and leadership.

The Under 21 team had a very good season and peaked at the right time to take out the Championship with a last gasp 47 metre penalty by Tyrone Ngaluafe against Marist. Prabhu Singh and Nico Nomani, the coaches, along with TAs, Kristien Ah Young, Ricky George and Phil Mackie did a great job. Kim Kwok and Terrence McQuoid as managers handled the management duties very efficiently. Scott Wills did a fine job as physio. Great effort, guys.

The Under 19 team had a pretty good season. They performed well at the start of the season and comfortably made the top six championship round. They played well enough here but ultimately they finished up third, missing out on the final. Coaches Hugh Heeney,

and Damian Mahutonga and managers, Hugh Munro and Tony White and their support staff deserve credit.

The Under 85kg team, under Rob Jones and Daniel Kull struggled for form early and did not qualify for the championship but made the Bowl competition and succeeded in winning it. The grade is very even and competitive and their scores were frequently close and tight. They developed a really good spirit which should serve them well next year. Thanks, also to Daniel Kull for his managerial assistance.

The Fillies this year had a mixed season. They missed out on the championship round but then went through undefeated to win the 2nd Division competition. Great effort, girls. Thanks to coaches, Linda Itunu, Ces Williams and Jimmy Clayton and their support staff.

The Social team, the Legion again had a good season although they lost their unbeaten run this season under coach Mike Leroy-Dyson.

Our President’s grade Puritans continue to have fun and to contribute towards the Club. Eddie and Sandra Ioane helped ‘Judge’ Phil Recordon with the organisation this year. Thanks to all concerned with those teams.

For the Junior Club, it was another busy and enjoyable season for the committee and some 36 teams, coaches, managers, players, parents and supporters. Pam Adams did a great job as Junior Administrator and the committee under the Chairmanship of Mark Darin was extremely well organised and productive. The Under 12 Open team won their championship under coaches Eddie Ioane and Manu Faiva.

The Junior Prizegiving was again held at Mt Albert Grammar School and the spirit and atmosphere said it all. Sincere thanks to Sam Lawrence, Brad Tauwhare, Willie Uili, Sam Fifita and Sione Mau for presenting the prizes and having photos with all the prizewinners on the day and for Greg Edmond’s organisation. Ponsonby’s future is in safe hands.

Special thanks to :1) Our ARFU delegates, Ces Williams (Senior) and Craig Watt and

Geoff Buchanan (Junior) for all the extra time you put in on our behalf.

2) The club manager, Ian Derbidge, and to John Allen, Brent and Yvonne Holden and other staff for the great service to the Club. It is a pleasure to work with you.

(3) Chairman, Peter Thorp and treasurer, Mike Lomas and the committee for the wise counsel and direction. You guys do a great job and I thank you sincerely.

(4) All coaches, managers, medical staff and support staff and all the players for upholding the Ponies tradition and pride.

(5) Mark Darin, Pam Adams, Craig Watt, Geoff Buchanan, Leon Wijohn and a very hardworking Junior committee for their untiring efforts. You do a great job.

(6) Our trustees of the Trust Fund who provide time and wise counsel to our Trust Fund, despite some challenging circumstances this year.

(7) Phil Adrian and the Old Boys Association who uphold the heritage and history of our Club.

(8) All those responsible for the Ponsonby Legends Lunch held at the Club, which honoured our living All Blacks.

(9) All those people who support the Ponies, particularly our sponsors listed elsewhere.

(10) All those people who have contributed to another successful year for the Ponies.

In closing, it has been another outstanding year for our beloved Club. Let’s see if we can better it.

Bryan WilliamsDirector of Rugby


Coaches Of The Year Simon Scott / Grant HansenOwen Donaldson Trophy Andrew LancasterBest All Round SportsmanJim Steen Old Boys Cup Mark Hooper / Taylor MosenBest And Fairest PlayerErnie Taylor Memorial Shield PremiersBest Performed TeamClub Captains Cup John TetiniSpecial ServicesOld Boys Shield Restricted Under 85 KgTeam Displaying Best Standard Of Conduct And SportsmanshipChairman’s Trophy Greg EdmondsSpecial Services Non PlayingLin Colling Memorial Cup Prabhu Singh / Nico NomaniMost Promising Coach Athol Rickard Memorial Cup Premier ReservesTeam with Best Try Scoring Average (Ave. 6.12 per game)Premier TeamBeegee Williams Cup Chay Raui Player of The YearJack Nicholson Memorial Cup Ben BaconBest Team ManRookie of The Year Cup Sione MauThomas Aitken Shield Lio Kaihau Most Consistent Senior PlayerPremiers Cup Chay RauiMost TriesPremier ReservesBest Forward AJ Heijns / Alfred VeikosoBest Back Sione KiteBest Team Man Chanel VitoRookie of The Year Jason LemaluMost Improved Player James HantzPonsonby Trophy Mark Ama Most Consistent Player Senior 1 TeamBest Forward Alan GoodwinBest Back Jonathan CovichMost Improved Player Jason TerzieffMost Promising Player Alofa MikaBest Team Man Masato OhbayashiMcNeilage/Sigley Trophy Semu Poliko Most Valuable PlayerMassa Johnston Cup Sam DonaldsonPlayer of the YearSenior 2 EPs TeamBest Forward Alex MatapoBest Back Ray HiraBest Tackler Herati MatapoMost Promising Player Brad DowsonPlayer of The Year Cup Joe TuruaSenior 2 Black TeamBest Forward Junior YandallBest Back Charles Manarangi-Trott

Best Team Man Tamiana KonroteMost Improved Player Tristan TahataMost Promising Player Naki MelinoPlayer of The Year Ethane Afitu-RoacheUnder 21 TeamDoug Tawhiti Memorial Cup Alex Samoa Most Outstanding BackFred Lucas Cup Tyrone Ngaluafe Most Promising PlayerBuster Gibbons Trophy Puppy Farrell Best Team ManOld Boys Jersey Taylor Mosen Player of The YearJunior Sportsman of The Year Tino ApeUnder 19 TeamMost Improved Player Ken TupuolaMost Consistent Back Albert ScottMost Consistent Forward Chris PusiPlayer of The Year Josh SimpsonHarlequin Bar & Café Cup David Hoeft In Pursuit of ExcellenceRestricted Under 85kg TeamBest And Fairest Player Chris Metcalfe Best Defensive Player Jeremy BothaMost Promising Player Andrew John Walter Stokes Memorial Shield Darin Middleton Best All Round PlayerGreg Chapman Memorial Cup Jeremy Botha Player of The YearPresidents GradeMargaret Ward Memorial Cup Junior Samuela Best Team ManPlayer of The Year Matthew PertSocial LegionMost Improved Player Sharif JoycePlayer of The Year Rob PoupouareFilliesBest Forward Eloise BlackwellBest Back Nora MaakaMost Improved Player Jezena Gilmour Best First Year Player Eloise BlackwellMost Promising Player Aldora Itunu Player of The Year Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate

2009 PRIZE WINNERS

PROUD SPONSORS OF PONSONBY DISTRICT RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB

Image Centre Limited 34 Westmoreland St West PO Box 78070 Grey Lynn Auckland NZ T +64 9 360 5700 F +64 9 360 5702 E [email protected] www.image-centre.com


Under 21 Championship Winners

City Under 12 Open Championship Winners


Premier Reserves

Under 85kg

Senior 2 Black

Senior 1

Senior 2 EP’s

Premier Women (Fillies)


Under 19

City Under 12 Restricted

City Under 11 Restricted Black

City Under 13 Restricted

City Under 11 Restricted Blue

City Under 11 Open


Kelston Under 11 Open


Kelston Under 11 Restricted

City Under 10 Restricted Ponies

City Under 10 Restricted Blue Kelston Under 10 Restricted


City Under 9 OpenCity Under 9 Restricted Ponies






City Under 7 Ponies

City Under 7 Black


City Under 7 Blue

City Under 7 White



Kelston Under 7 Blue

City Under 6 Ponies

City Under 6 Blue

City Under 6 White

City Under 6 City

Kelston Under 7 Black


Kelston Under 6 Blue Sunia Makasini receiving the Arthur Williams Cup for Junior Sportsman of the Year

James Campbell and Luka Clayton receiving their trophies from the Premier Presenters

A try by Reiko Ioane in the Under 12 final

City Under 6 Black Kelston Under 6 Ponies


REPRESENTATIVE HONOURS

NZ SEVENS Chad Tuoro, Jordan Puleatua

NZ BLACK FERNS Linda Itunu

BLACK FERN SEVENS Linda Itunu

FIJI Sean Morrell

BLUES SUPER 14 Chris Lowrey, Benson Stanley, Winston Stanley, Jay Williams, Paul Williams

HIGHLANDERS SUPER 14 Daniel Bowden

AUCKLAND NPC Daniel Bowden, Chris Lowrey, Chay Raui, Benson Stanley, Winston Stanley,

Jay Williams, Paul Williams

EAST COAST HEARTLAND Randell Kamea

AUCKLAND DEVELOPMENT Lio Kaihau, Viliami Kinahoi, Chay Raui, Adam Siddall, Ben Bacon, Leo Taliu,

Doug Tausili, Brett Williams, Pom Simona

AUCKLAND UNDER 20 COLTS Niko Ratumaitavuki, Tyrone Ngaluafe, Jordan Puleatua, Taylor Mosen

AUCKLAND EMERGING PLAYERS Tevita Finau, Paula Fakautoki

AUCKLAND STORM Linda Itunu, Eloise Blackwell, Nora Maaka

AUCKLAND SECONDARY SCHOOLS Aldora Itunu, Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate, Tessa Wright, Sia Kolomatagi

AUCKLAND MAORI WOMEN Eloise Blackwell, Nora Maaka

Junior Representatives

WALTER DICKSON Reiko Ioane, Mark Gordon, Tai Ruha, James Halley, Stephen Perofeta,

Sunia Makasini, Geoff Viligia, Theo Gow, Jack Adams, Nick Oldfield,

Karomatangi Arthur, Kati Levi, Toso Junior Latu, Isikele Fukofuka, Kahn Moir,

Henry Fomai, George Darin, Shane Moe, Edward Mulitalo

UNDER 45KG AUCKLAND George Darin, Charles Booth, Max Christie, Willie Gillette, James Halley,

Jordan King, Harry Spath, Elliot Wilks

ROLLER MILLS Reiko Ioane, Theo Gow, Mark Gordon, Sunia Makasini, Tai Ruha,

Geoff Viligia, Shane Moe, Stephen Perofeta

BILL McLAREN Taina Fox-Matamua, Luteru Tolai

AUCKLAND UNDER 14 Vince Aso, Jonathon Sa’u, Paul Tofae

AUCKLAND UNDER 16 Eugene Teauraki, Patrick Tuipulotu

AUCKLAND SECONDARY SCHOOL GIRLS Theresa Fitzpatrick

Senior Representatives


The 2009 season actually kicked off in December 2008 for the bulk of the team with our traditional pre Christmas Monday night trainings and end of year BBQ. Turn-out was as always very good and we could see before the new year even commenced that the team would again be competitive in 2009.

Simon Scott returned as Head Coach after two successive championship wins and last year’s Technical Advisor Grant Hansen took up the role of Assistant Coach. Greg Edmonds and Scott Turner returned as managers and were joined by Monique Sell so the majority of the management team returning meant consistency for the players and team overall.

Early in January we were extremely pleased that three of our key sponsors confirmed that they would support the team again: Urgent Couriers as our principal sponsor and Powerade and Multi-Trans as supporting sponsors. Given the financial and economic downturn in late 2008 this was a real boost to the management team and we were extremely grateful that these organisations in such tough economic times chose to continue to support us. We also secured new sponsors this year in Debit Success and Inshape nutrition products.

Preseason training commenced fully in late January with good turn-outs particularly from the U21 grade players. This was encouraging as we need to continue to build this team as feeder players to the Premier team. Due to Super 14 commitments we were without Jay Williams, Benson Stanley, Winston Stanley, Chris Lowrey (Blues) and Daniel Bowden (Highlanders) for the early part of the season. In addition Julien Palmer who had been outstanding at openside flanker in 2008 elected to stay in Portugal along with Pete Leulusoo. David Smith also decided to play in the Wellington competition in 2009 and outstanding halfback Wayne Ngaluafe was unavailable. Aside from these players the rest of the 2008 team returned for another year.

The team however was bolstered by a number of quality players either coming to the club for the first time or returning from overseas including stalwart Sam Anania, Lio Kaihau, Josh Brown, Doug Tausili, Leo Taliu and Sefo Pasina. In addition outstanding halfback and New Zealand Sevens player Chad Tuoro returned to the club early in the season.

Our first scheduled game ended up as a bye as a result of Grammar Carlton deciding to withdraw from the Waka Nathan Cup series. This was disappointing as they had won the Waka Nathan competition in 2008 and meant that we had to wait a further week to play our first game against Teachers Eastern which we incidentally made hard work of to win 22 – 18. We then played Otahuhu and managed a 17 – 13 hard fought win at Fearon Park to progress to the final against Marist. This final was played during the round robin of the Alan McEvoy Shield round.

Our early games in the Alan McEvoy Shield round saw the team begin to show promise with wins over Waitemata 26 – 20, Teachers Eastern 39 – 13, Waitakere City 59 – 3 and Eden Roskill 57 – 7 before coming up against rivals Grammar Carlton. This was to be a great game of rugby with the Ponies controlling large periods of the game and running out deserved winners 27 – 14. This win provided the team with a confidence boost and we went on to easily beat College Rifles, Te Papa, Mt Wellington and Pakuranga before meeting East

Tamaki on a wet and cold day at their home ground. While the final score of 13 – 0 would appear close the atrocious weather conditions levelled the playing field. However we were never in doubt of losing with many of the team remembering the loss to ET in 2006. This tough game in challenging conditions provided just the right build up to our game the next week against arch rivals Marist which also doubled as the final of the Waka Nathan Cup.

Marist started the game extremely strongly and put our scrum under significant pressure. In the first 20 minutes the Marist loose forwards dominated the loose ball and made considerable metres with several charging runs around the ruck and maul. However the experienced Ponies team maintained their composure, for which we have become famous, and they gradually wore down the spirited Marist team until they could no longer compete. After leading 10 – 7 at halftime we completely dominated the second half and deserved our 41 – 7 win and Waka Nathan Cup Championship.

The rest of the Alan McEvoy Shield round went without any losses and with a number of our Super 14 players returning to club rugby. It is always pleasing to see that our representative players are always prepared (and indeed enjoy) turning out for the Blue and Blacks. This commitment by these rep players boosts the motivation of our younger players and is a key part of our unique Ponsonby culture.

Our last two games in the round robin were against University, who put us under reasonable pressure and resulted in the only game of the season where we were unable to score a try (winning 6 – 0), and Papatoetoe with a 15 – 6 win on a ground that was far below what should be acceptable for Premier level rugby in Auckland.

We now turned our attention to the business end of the season – the Gallaher Shield.

Our quarter final game against Teachers Eastern went exactly to plan with the Ponies scoring five tries to one to run out convincing winners 33 – 11. Despite being now without all of our Air New Zealand Cup players the team dynamics were excellent and everyone was focused on the task before us. Next up was our semi final against Waitemata. The team was fortunate to have outstanding mid fielder Benson Stanley return from injury for this game as part of his recovery for Auckland A. The team completely dominated this game and took a 20 – 0 lead at half time before running out convincing winners 46 – 19.

Finals time and we continued with our proven formula of finals rugby to play University at Eden Park. Our experience against a relatively young University team was clearly evident as we controlled the game right from the kick off. Referee Ben Skeen ensured a free flowing game and at half time we lead 13 – 5. The second half again was dominated by the Ponies with fullback Chay Raui showing absolute class by scoring a fabulous try himself (after a sensational break by Leo Taliu) and then setting up the final try for veteran Sefo Pasina to run out convincing winners 30 – 5. This win cemented our 6th consecutive Championship and Gallaher Shield win in the Auckland Rugby Union Premier competition. Another outstanding year! To top off a great Ponsonby day our Under 21 team played the curtain raiser and defeated Marist in the final minutes to take out their Championship. The Premier team were extremely proud of these young players as during the season we had trained with and against

PREMIER TEAM REPORT 2009


the Under 21 team and were impressed with their commitment and attitude.

During the year we “blooded” a number of rookie players including Under 21 Captain Taylor Mosen, open side flanker Matiu Walters, centre Tyrone Ngaluafe, wing Jordan Puletua and promising prop Sione Mau. All of these players demonstrated that they have the ability to be great Ponies players of the future.

Players to play their 40th blazer games during the season were Sefo Pasina, Chad Tuoro, Ben Bacon and Tevita Hufanga. In addition Tevita Finau achieved the significant milestone of a century of Premier games and veteran Brett Williams played his 150th Premier game for the club. The experience that these players bring to the team are a key part of our success and they should be congratulated for their contributions.

The quality of our players and the success of our team resulted in 19 of our players making representative honours in 2009 with either Auckland A, Auckland Development, Auckland Emerging Players or Auckland U20. Congratulations to all of these players. In addition Simon Scott was appointed by the ARFU to the position of Assistant Coach of the Auckland Under 20 and Grant Hansen was appointed by the NZRFU to the position of Assistant Coach of the New Zealand Black Ferns to take them to the RWC in 2010. Both of these appointments are a fantastic endorsement of the coaching qualities of Simon and Grant.

Players to receive club awards in 2009 were as follows: Best Team Man – Ben Bacon, Most Consistent Player – Lio Kaihau, Rookie of the Year – Sione Mau, Top Try Scorer and Player of the Year – Chay Raui.

Chay Raui and Adam Siddall were two outstanding players in 2009 and deserved higher representative honours than they have received. Both players were consistently outstanding all season and by far the best club players in their respective positions.

In closing there are a number of people who deserve acknowledgement:

• The players’, coaches’ and managers’ wives, partners, children and supporters who supported the team week in week out.

• The management team of Scott Turner and Monique Sell whose contribution ensured our management programme was implemented as planned.

• Our physiotherapist Jordan Stevens who joined the team this season and immediately made a significant impact in keeping the players match fit each week.

• Our support staff – Statistician Dennis Mansfield, Gear Technicians Ciaran Overton and Daniel Namoa and Masseur Danny Vakawati.

• Club Manager Ian Derbidge for his support and Garry Barr from Teamwear Apparel who ensured we had everything we needed.

• Director of Rugby and Club President Bryan Williams for his guidance and support and ARFU COD Ces Williams for his advice.

Of special mention are our sponsors. It would not be possible for this team to achieve the outstanding results that we do with out the generous support of our sponsors. Urgent Couriers as our principal sponsor has provided much needed funding for the second year and this is appreciated. Powerade and Multi-Trans have been loyal sponsors now for over 5 years and this loyalty is appreciated by the team. Many thanks to Debit Success and Inshape for having the confidence to support us – I hope you have received value for your investment.

The team results are undisputable – an outstanding undefeated season – 20 games, 20 wins, 693 points for, 162 against and every piece of silverware in the trophy cabinet!

Greg Edmonds – Team Manager

Premiers Brad Tauwhare at Home against Pakuranga


PROUD SPONSORS OF PONSONBY DISTRICT RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB

PREMIER TEAM COMPETITION STATISTICS 2009

PPPPPPPPPPRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUDDDDDDDDDD SSSSSSSSSSPPPPPPPPPPOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNSSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSS OOOOOOOOOOFFFFFFFFFF PPPPPPPPPPOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNSSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNBBBBBBBBBBYYYYYYY DDIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCCCCCTTTTTTTTTT RRRRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGBBBBBBBBBBYYYYYYYYYY FFFFFFFFFFOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTBBBBBBBBBBAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL CCCCCCCCCCLLLLLLLLLLUUUUUUUUUUBBBBBBBBBBBob Scott and Keith Nelson at Ponies Legends Lunch

Date Against Score Tries Conv Pen D.G. Total Tries Conv Pen D.G. Total

Alan McEvoy Shield

4-Apr Waitemata 26-20 3 1 3 26 1 5 20

11-Apr Teachers Eastern 39-13 5 4 2 39 1 1 2 13

18-Apr Waitakere 59-3 9 4 2 59 1 3

25-Apr Eden.Roskill 57-7 8 7 1 57 1 1 7

2-May Gramm.Carlton 27-14 2 1 5 27 1 3 14

9-May College Rifles 24-3 3 3 1 24 1 3

16-May Te Papa.Mt.Well 34-12 5 3 1 34 2 1 12

23-May Pakuranga 39-3 6 3 1 39 1 3

30-May East Tamaki 13-0 2 1 13 0

6-Jun Marist 41-7 5 5 2 41 1 1 7

13-Jun Manukau Rovers 60-5 10 5 60 1 5

20-Jun Suburbs 72-0 11 7 1 72 0

27-Jun Otahuhu 33-3 4 2 2 1 33 1 3

4-Jul University 6-0 2 6 0

11-Jul Papatoetoe 15-6 2 1 1 15 2 6

75 46 25 1 545 8 4 16 96

Gallaher Shield

18-Jul Teachers Eastern 33-11 5 1 2 33 1 2 11

25-Jul Waitemata 46-19 6 5 2 46 3 2 19

1-Aug University 30-5 4 2 2 30 1 5

15 8 6 109 5 2 2 35

Total 90 54 31 1 654 13 6 18 131

FOR AGAINST


Name Tries Conv. Pen. DG Total

B. Williams 12 24 12 1 147

A. Siddall 8 25 18 144

C. Raui 14 3 76

T. Wiley 6 30

N. Ratumaitavuki 5 25

S. Lawrence 5 25

S. Mau 4 20

T. Finau 4 20

L. Taliu 4 20

P. Williams 4 20

M. Po’oi 3 15

L. Kaihau 2 10

S. Morrell 2 10

R. Taumoheloa 2 10

R. Kamea 2 10

T. Hufanga 2 10

B. Bacon 2 10

S. Pasina 2 10

D. Tausili 1 1 8

B. Tauwhare 1 5

D. Elia 1 5

J. Puleatua 1 5

J. Williams 1 5

W. Uili 1 5

P.S imona 1 5

D. Bowden 2 4

TOTALS 90 54 31 1 654

The Club appreciates the generous support of:

Auckland Rugby Football UnionBuckingham ElectricalHirepoolImage Centre LimitedHynds Group of CompaniesKeith Nelson & AssociatesLion BreweriesLion FoundationMt Hobson GroupMultitransNZ Community TrustPub CharitiesNautilus FoundationWijohn Chartered AccountantsUrgent CouriersPoweradeDebit SuccessInshapePerry Foundation

The Club wishes to acknowledge the co-operation and support of:

Auckland CityCity ParksSprings Promotions LtdWaitakere City

PREMIER TEAM INDIVIDUAL SCORES

PROUDLY SUPPORTING

PONSONBYRUGBY


Premier ReservesThe Reserves team enjoyed another successful season with a finals appearance which was an improvement on last season.We started the pre-season games as a squad against Pukekohe and North Shore (North Harbour Senior 1 champions under Buck Shelford) and we came away with a draw and a win but with some excitement about the young side and depth at the club, which had improved significantly from last season. We had worked hard on getting some former colts players back and they will ultimately step up to being Premiers in the next few years.The Premier and Reserves sides then split and we had a game against Massey since Grammar-Carlton had pulled out of the Waka Nathan. We played a strong Massey side which in the second half contained a backline of Chris Smylie, Nafi Tuitavake, George and Ken Pisi. We came back from 14-29 with 15 mins to go to win 35-29 right on fulltime. This was the first sign that we had a side that could lift in the last 20 mins of a game.Onto the Waka Nathan pre-season and we started with a solid win over Teachers-Eastern 36-10 whose Premiers had new coaches and their style of play had changed from last season (we were to see their Premiers finish in the top 8). Then came Otahuhu who were under new coaches also and we narrowly won 20-17 but it was a good solid workout before the start of the competition. The Competition round robin started with a sensational win over Waitemata 48-8 who had a new team which saw us reverse our result from last season’s semi final. We continued on in the season, beating Teachers-Eastern 82-0 where we blew them off the park, then Waitakere 75-5 again blowing them off the park, before coming up against a determined Eden-Roskill side winning 47-7. The next game was supposed to be the highlight in the season but we came up against a Grammar Carlton who remembered us beating them last year (their only loss) and we didn’t turn up until the last 20 mins losing 17-23. We then dispatched College Rifles 32-3, Te Papapa-Mt Wellington 43-3 (0-0 at half time – it was a bizarre game), before destroying Pakuranga 73-0 and gave them something to moan about (which is one of their strengths). We then started a tough 7 week stretch to end the round but we had found we had superior fitness so could compete in the last 20 mins. We beat East Tamaki (out there) 30-11, Marist 38-16, Manukau (out there) 32-6 before having an unfortunate default win over Suburbs, which is shocking at this level of rugby – their reserves went up to their Prem side for 2 weeks after a mass walk out. We then played probably our 2nd best 80 mins of rugby all season with a win over Otahuhu 45-0, where we dominated them at all stages of the game. Next up was University on a poor field and in torrential rain winning 18-10, before finishing the round with an excellent win (again in appalling weather and disgraceful field conditions) over Papatoetoe 50-0.The Quarter Final saw our best 80 mins of rugby beating Marist 60-3. Yes 60 points against Marist! We had scored 4 tries by half time and the skills shown by the team in racking up 10 tries is something we will remember for a long time. It also saw our backline General Sione Kite’s season finish as he had commitments in Australia. This was to be a telling blow.The Semi Final was a great game of rugby and Otahuhu really gave it to us. They came to Western Springs with the hurt from the 45-0 drubbing and had the half time lead of 10-0 as we struggled with our kicking game. We fought back winning 19-13 but a disallowed try would have made the win more comfortable.Onto the Final where everyone had expected to see Ponies v GC. However like their Premiers a week before Waitemata decided everyone’s favourite club weren’t going anywhere and booked themselves a final at Western Springs. Unfortunately for us though, their Premier side went out the same day and our notes from our sideline spy were worthless as that team didn’t come to play the final (12 of their Prem side did). The weather packed it in right on kick-off so our game plan had to change and while we attacked them in that first half we couldn’t get past their monster pack containing 6 Prems. Losing Chris Lowrey to a broken hand after 15 mins was also a big blow. They scored 2 tries straight

after half time and with the rain hitting harder we struggled to get back into the game losing 8-18. It was a very disappointing end as we had all worked so hard to win the George Nicholson Cup this year. However on the day they were too good in the conditions and of their side they only had 1 player under 30. Most of their 22 had never won a championship so we can’t be bitter towards a side like that – they played good, clean rugby all year and had beaten the top 2 sides in consecutive weekends so deserved their win. We will take this disappointment with us and being a young side it will strengthen our players, many of whom will eventually go on to play Premiers and remember this hurt when they play future championship games.Some players who really stood out during the season were forwards James Hantz, Willie Uili (who went up to Prems with 5 weeks to go), Richard Tonga (who also went up with 5 weeks to go), AJ Heijns, Jason Lemalu, Alfred Veikoso, Chanel Vito and in the backs Sione Kite, Danny Elia, our inspirational captain Sailor, Rick McCamish and Richard Ault. Some of these players assisted me in the retention of some younger players in this club – and for a club to stay strong we need to ensure the future gets retained.Special thanks to our management team – Backs coach Warrick Black; our Managers Graeme Brough, Graham McGarvey and Nathan Tao; Bud Dickman who also assisted us; and our Physio Ryan Leyland. We want to thank our sponsors Hirepool and Ray White Kingsland for their continued support. Thanks also to Beegee, Ian and John for their countless hours of help to the team and the club including the awesome field we get to play on. And thanks to those club stalwarts who always offer much needed advice and tell us how it really is. A special thanks to the families and supporters from the club who supported us each week and who came out to watch us play as it motivated us to do better. Personally, I enjoyed the season and the development of this club is in good hands. I am extremely proud of the way this team performed.Our record for the 2009 season:• Round robin – Played 15, won 14, lost 1. Points for 630, against 92. Placed 2nd• Quarter Final - Beat Marist 60-3• Semi Final - Beat Otahuhu 19-13• Championship Final - Lost to Waitemata 9-11Top Point scorer: Sione Kite 115Top Try scorer: Jordan Larsen 12Squad: Mark Ama (c), Richard Ault, Alex Baker, Josh Brown, Hayden Cameron, Fou Crichton, Sam Donaldson, Daniel Elia, Paula Fakautoki, Eli Farnum, John Fotu, James Hantz, A.J. Heijns, Tevita Hufanga, Gerry Jacobs, Derek Jannings, Randell Kamea, Sione Kite, Andrew Lancaster, Jordan Larsen, Jason Lemalu, John Levis, Chris Lowrey, Joe MacManus, Richard Mailei, Sione Mau, Rick McCamish, Jon Meredith, Christian Opetaia, Mike Paea, Jon Paine, Mark Paulo, Silaumua Potifele, Neli Sasulu, Adrian Sionepulu, Antonio Stanley, Leo Taliu, Matt Thomas, Richard Tonga, Zinzan Tusialofa, Willie Uili (vc), Alfred Veikoso, Chanel Vito (vc), Matiu Walters.

Mike Brough – Coach

Senior 2 EP’sWhat an up and down season this was. We started off with a hiss and a roar! Our first game against Papatoetoe, was won 102 - 5 and we had enough players that day to field two teams. Then slowly but surely things went from bad to worse - players got injured (this is to be expected), commitment from some was shocking and once the rain, wind and cold settled in it was a lucky dip as to who would be there on Saturday. But besides that ‘09 was another enjoyable season for the EPs.

TEAM REPORTS 2009


We made the semis and again we let ourselves down by saving our worst game for last. But that’s the way rugby goes. I would like to thank all the players for their efforts this year on and off the field (some had better off field form), the old bulls for making up the numbers when in need, the visitors, kids and all our supporters, but most of all the wives, girlfriends and partners for your unconditional support throughout the season and most importantly, allowing your men to play rugby for the EPs.

Thank you to the club for allowing us to have a few games at the Springs - much appreciated! Especially by those new to the team this year. Special thanks to Herati the “LEGEND” Matapo for helping manage the team and to our captain Ray Hira for doing a sterling job with a makeshift team each week and keeping it together. I hope everyone has a good break. Take care of yourselves and your families and hopefully see you all again next year, fa.

Best forward: Alex Matapo

Best Back: Ray Hira

Player of the Year: Joe Turua

After 2 round robins and a semi-final loss: Points for 433, Points against 149.

Steven Ioane (Player, Coach, Manager)

Under 212009 was a Championship winning year for the Ponsonby Under 21s. With new coaches appointed early on there was a settled approach with plenty of planning needed to map out the season. There was a core group of players returning from the previous year who were determined to do better this year.The first training netted approx 140 players, a good turnout, which after pre-season games we narrowed down to a squad of 40. We felt we had a good team with plenty of talent and knew that we would be competitive but weren’t sure just how far we could go.We were unbeaten after four rounds before Grammar-Carlton gave us a reality check. They did us a big favour as they highlighted some of our weaknesses, which our Coaches and TAs moved quickly to remedy. We bounced back to beat Rifles well the following week and many believe this was the turning point in our season. We went on to beat Pakuranga and continued good form for several weeks. At this time players were putting their hands up and a real look of class was starting to develop. An obvious team spirit was beginning to show through and the environment that was set up was also paying dividends. Our old foe Marist was next up and both teams were injury ravaged. We were short on backs and had to call in whoever we could to fill the holes. We fought admirably only to go down narrowly on the full time whistle, much like last year. Again though, we were found out in certain areas which we moved to fix and went on to finish the end of the round robin in 3rd place with only the two loses.At Tuesday training before our Quarter final we had a meeting on a rainy night with the fields reduced to a bog to plan our strategy to get to the final. Again meticulous planning from the Coaches to push the right buttons at the right time created an opportunity for the players to provide the necessary input to reach the “Summit” from “Base Camp 3”. It was obvious that with the diplomatic approach the players’ knowledge and opinions were highly valued and needed to achieve the goal.Our injuries started to dry up as we readied ourselves for the Quarter final against Rifles. As the outer fields at the ‘Springs were almost unplayable, we opted to play this game at Cox’s Bay #2 – a well drained ground and suited to the game we wanted to play. A new catch phrase was “Eat ‘em up” which

the guys used in their pre-match amping. We won the game 25-7 which gave the team the real belief that we could go on and make the Final. It took us past the mark where we fell the previous year, getting that all important bogey off the players’ backs.The Semi-final put us up against Pakuranga who upset Grammar-Carlton a couple of weeks earlier so we knew they would be formidable opponents. It was a tough game and with only 10 minutes to go it was anyone’s game but we pulled through to score two late tries to take the win 18-5 and go onto the Final at Eden Park.It was a low-key week with plenty of planning going in to ensure no stone was unturned. Especially since the kickoff was much earlier, we had to ensure the guys would run with the new routine. We organised a walk on Eden Park the evening before the match to try and ease some of the guys’ nerves and by all accounts it was worth it. On the day the build up went well and the guys seemed relaxed. Beegee came in and had a final chat to the guys before heading out onto the hallowed turf. It was a scrappy game in the wet with touches of class by both teams but when the scores were tied up at 16-all with 3 minutes to go we all thought it would go into extra time until we got a penalty 45 meters out from the posts. Our kicking had been poor all day through no fault of Martin Naufahu’s who had been carrying a leg injury, so up stepped Tyrone Ngaluafe, who according to one of the players within earshot told his Captain Taylor Mosen “I’ll get it”. He hit it sweetly, it snuck over the crossbar and we managed to hold them out after a series of desperate attempts to snatch the win away. The final score: 16-13. It was a truly epic finish to a memorable season.The players must be thanked for the way they responded to adversity at various moments throughout the season. They all matured immensely and will be much better for it as players and as young men. All the Coaches and Managers do a lot of work to create the environment for the players to perform and they certainly did that to achieve the ultimate prize.Special thanks must go to Beegee Williams for providing the direction for the team when we needed it and Ian Derbidge for assisting in all matters admin. Thanks also to the Under 19’s management for assisting in squad management – both ways.Thanks to Under 21 staff Prabhu Singh, Nico Nomani, Ricky George, Kristien Ah Young, Phil Mackey, and Kim Kwok and Scott Wills for all their outstanding efforts.

Terrence McQuoid (Coach)

ARFU Council Delegate Ces Williams presents David Hoeft with the 2009 Under 19 In Pursuit of Excellence Cup.


Under 19The 2009 rugby season swung rapidly into action at the beginning of last winter with an enthusiastic pool of over 35 players in training for the Under19 squad.

The team beat Waitemata and Eden Roskill Gold followed by a close loss to Pakuranga. This was then followed by a string of wins against College Rifles, Te Papa Mt Wellington, Eden Roskill Black and University. A round nine loss to Grammar Carlton was followed by wins against Teachers Eastern, East Tamaki and Manukau Rovers. Losses against Marist and Papatoetoe saw the Under 19s enter the eight team play-off in fourth place. After a promising win against Manukau, Ponsonby was knocked out of contention by Eden Roskill Gold and the season was over. A credible effort from the team to achieve a top five place in a seventeen team competition.

Our team played with commitment and sportsmanship throughout the season and the management and coaches wish each individual a great future with Ponsonby Rugby Club. A big thank you to Scott Wills and Sandra Allen for their assistance with the various injuries throughout the season. Ian Derbidge and my co-manager Hugh Munro did a great job of raising money with an excellent quiz evening and also raffle sales. Teresa and Dave Hoeft provided fantastic support throughout the season and were always happy to assist the managers or shoot film at the game.

Special thanks to the parents, players, supporters and sponsors who attended the quiz nights. We also appreciate very much the sponsorship provided by Chris Turney and his company Ergo Consulting and the very humorous photo session in the pouring rain with Ergo and the team. Many thanks also to the three coaches: Hugh Heeney, Damian Mahutunga and Jimmy for the excellent coaching that the team received at all times.

I also commend all of the Under 19 players for their game skills, consistently good attendances at both practices and on game days and for their humour and team spirit throughout the season.

From all of the team we thank the New Zealand Community Trust for their generous funding allocation to the team account.

Tony White (Co-Manager)

Under 85kgThe year started with the team in the same old boat - no coach for the third year running. However just before the start of pre-season Rob Jones stepped into the firing line, so to speak, and offered to guide us through the season. Unfortunately due to personal circumstances Rob was only able to guide us through pre-season before he was forced to step aside. The team lost a lot of direction when this happened and our results during the first round highlighted this. Our loss to Grammar Carlton Gold in the first competition game was a low point especially after our solid pre-season form. This game was really the early defining moment of our season as it made it hard for us to get to a good grade. With no one at the reins of the team, some more weak games against some very strong opposition saw us finish the first round with one win and four losses, ending up in the bowl round of the competition.There was further disappointment amongst the boys with a few guys who promised a lot early on then bailed on us – this included at least a third of our backs. This resulted in never fielding a team that contained more than two back reserves and usually only one. However certain players stepped up and covered multiple positions: Matt Batemen – covering halfback, 1st and 2nd five, Darin Middleton – covering halfback, fullback and wing and Jeremy Wright shifting from openside to 2nd Five.

The start of the bowl competition saw a massive change in the squad which was brought about by two main factors. The first and arguably most important was Eric Neary stepping forward to help coach the side. With two sons in the team Eric had watched most of our first round games from the sideline and the hard nosed attitude he brought to training was instilled into the boys with immediate effect. The second was my decision to take over coaching of the team, only wearing the boots if numbers where short. With Eric’s attitude and my understanding of our grade/style of rugby we really turned things around during the second half of the seasonWith a more structured defence plan, the development of a controlled counter-attacking strategy and most importantly an emphasis on doing the basics first, we starting putting together a string of impressive performances. Big wins against Teachers Eastern Beers where the forwards dominated their opposition pack and Ardmore Marist where the backs ran riot, with Jeremy Botha scoring a double and AJ Syddall making big meters with ball in hand, helped develop a strong team spirit, morale and camaraderie and was a big part of why we pushed on the way we did after the disappointments of the first round.6 wins from 8 games saw us finish second on the table due to points differential. We were to play Grammar Carlton Panthers in the semi final, who had comprehensively beaten us 0-14 about a month earlier. In appalling conditions the boys found themselves down 0 – 10 shortly after half time. However our strategy of putting massive pressure on Grammar Carlton’s playmaker began reaping dividends when his game started falling apart and we began dominating position and territory. A strong run from a quick tap penalty saw our captain Anthony Newlove crash over out wide to make the score 5 -10 with around 15mins to go. With us dominating territory, Grammar Carlton began falling foul of the referee and two excellent penalty kicks by team stalwart Andy Cowsill saw us sneak away with an 11-10 win and a berth in the final.The final saw us drawn to play Suburbs who had come through the second round undefeated, winning most of their games with 4 try bonus points. We had narrowly lost to them 7 – 9 on a last minute penalty earlier in the round and where keen for revenge. We worked hard that week on a plan to counter their strong kicking game from their experienced first five, a former Ponsonby player, and it paid off right when the game was evenly balanced. Half time saw the game evenly poised at 3 all: a penalty versus Andy Cowsill’s brilliantly hit drop goal. About half way through the second half a wayward kick from the Suburbs 1st Five was collected down the right hand side of the field. As per the game plan we had practised all week, we immediately swung the ball towards the left hand side of the field. A good run from Matt Bateman who held the ball up well and drew a couple of defenders before a nice pass set up centre and player of the year Jeremy Botha for the try that won us the game. 2009 Speight’s Bowl Champions. The final score was 10 – 3. Standout performances during the final came from Max Neary, Jeremy Botha and our hard working captain Ants along with big impact off the bench from Lance Wilton, Schalk Van Der Merwe and Peter Russell, but it was very much a team effort with everyone leaving nothing on the field.We played a good brand of rugby for the last 11 weeks of the season, culminating in winning the Bowl Championship after a disappointing start to the year. Losing only two games during the round and then beating both those teams en-route to winning the Final, highlight the advances the team made during the round. It is a testament to the team culture that guys who had finished the season with injury were still coming to trainings, games and end of season events. Season highlights included:• Three of the boys donning Tamaki jerseys and playing a full game against

the Team, kudos to Andrew Stephenson, Clint Neary and Daniel Kull who all had massive games against the famous blue and black jersey.

• Finishing one game with both wingers in the sin bin (Thanks Darin and Garth) and scoring the last try after a cheeky quick tap penalty from Matt Bateman sent Niels Ellis over in the corner.


• Also ranking up there was playing three quarters of the year with an excellent halfback who was Japanese, with very limited English and completely deaf – but he had one hell of a pass on him.

• And who can forget the falcon of the year courtesy of Paul against University!!!

Finally the number one highlight of the season was the first try, after four years at the club to team stalwart Skully who then immediately announced his retirement and hung up his playing boots.

Daniel Kull (Skully) (Manager/Assistant Coach)

Puritans Another vintage season down with more games won than lost.

It is often said that “rugby was the winner” when the Prezzys play their games and although this is true, it wasn’t always the score line that counted for the good games we had.

I have noted over the last few years that the quality of play in the grade has improved and with other teams fielding quite a few ex-Prem players, this is making for a faster and dare I say it, more skilful level of play. The hits are still huge and the size of most team members is still over the 120 kg mark, so when they land on you or tackle you, you usually stay tackled.

This year we had a few new players to add to an already colourful team. We had the usual suspects such as 2nd half, Hoover, Frazier, Ants, Andy, Mason, Tony, Tupe, Fluff, Junior, Chou, Russell and Gimbal and we had the flood of new (old) blood with Perty, Ben, B-Rad, Lehann, Sam and Tai who all added to the team atmosphere.

The BBQ sessions we held to host the opposition teams went down well with both sides enjoying our hospitality and the chilly bin getting a good workout. It was also good to see the opposition teams hosting us at our away games, although there were a few times when we didn’t manage to get out of the changing rooms (my fault, not enough drinkers in the team).

It was good to see the union did not cancel too many games this year. In fact there was only one union cancellation that I can recall. The rest of the games that were cancelled were done by us for whatever reason. This made for better continuity for our team and gave us all a good excuse to get out on a Saturday and trot around the paddock and socialise for a few hours.

Thanks to all the men who turned out this season:

• 2nd half for arranging the Tui sponsorship again this year

• Perty for Player of the Year

• Junior for the Margaret Ward award (Team Spirit)

• Fluff, our Captain

• Ian & John for providing BBQ and sense of humour most nights

Eddie Ioane (Manager/Coach)

Legion This year has been another great year for the Ponsonby Legion with quite a few new players joining and helping us to carry on our proud tradition of building a strong and enduring culture. Again the grade was very competitive and we found ourselves working hard to build new combinations, develop a pattern that suited our new players and eventually win as many games as we lost. Getting numbers to the game each week also proved a bit of a challenge but a tight core of regulars always managed to make up enough of a unit to be competitive. Our players of the year this year were Rob Poupouare and Sharif Joyce, two stalwarts of the team who continue to play great rugby and lead from the front. Thanks again to Tyrone, Maria and the team at the Bond St Bar for their fantastic support. And thanks also to Kent, Drew, Andy and Rob for their contributions to keeping things going. Who knows…maybe we’ll come back again next year just to round out a decade.

Le Roy Dyson (Manager)

Mudbath Washing Line


2009 is my third year as Chairman for the Junior committee and we have again been rewarded with an excellent year for the Junior club. Once again we have had a huge input from everyone involved: players, coaches and managers, parents, the Junior committee and the club at large. For this I must express my profound gratitude and thanks, magnificent!

This year has had its share of challenges, on the financial front, courtesy of the flow-on effects from the global financial crisis and through some unexpected challenges with players and coaches in our more senior grades. Despite these challenges, we were able to field 34 teams from Under 6 through to Under 13 grades. We fielded three teams in the championship grades and due to the pervasive “No Easy Pony” spirit all three of these teams reached their semi-finals. The big story this year was the Under 12 Open side. At the end of last year this team was in great shape and looked like a strong hope. However unexpected changes saw the squad decimated and we came within one week of withdrawing the team altogether. Eddie and Sandra Ioane stepped up to the mark and with some recruiting help from the fabulous Beegee Williams they assembled a small squad of willing and enthusiastic boys ready to play. And play they did, eventually winning the championship final. From the shaky start to the end of extra time in the final the story could have been scripted in Hollywood! Well done to the Under 12’s and well done to every team who pulled on the Ponsonby Jersey this year.

On behalf of the Junior club I would like to extend our congratulations to Beegee Williams for his appointment as Vice President of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union.

I would also like to make a special mention of Ian Derbidge who received my Chairman’s Award this year, once again putting in countless hours for the Junior club and smoothing the way for many of our committee activities.

We had four great Players of the Month this year. Each was superbly attended despite some of these being held on days when Junior Rugby was cancelled. The Junior club also received thanks from the Seniors for the highly organised provision of ball boys for the senior home games. It was great to see the Premiers and Reserves recognising the youngsters for their efforts on the sidelines and valuable for the Juniors to see top-level rugby from the sideline.

Our end of year prize giving was also a major success, very well attended and with many compliments. This year we introduced the awarding of pins for junior players who have played for Ponsonby for 5 or more seasons. The youngest of our players to achieve this accolade played Under 8 this year! These pins were very well received.

The Junior club has just participated in Ruawai’s Centennial Celebrations. A fantastic trip was organised with 4 teams travelling to Ruawai in the Labour weekend traffic on Friday afternoon. We were very warmly hosted on the Naumai Marae and played our games on the Saturday morning. The weather was fantastic and the rugby good. Ponsonby made a strong showing and once again retained the Ponsonby-Ruawai Cup. Most definitely rugby was the winner on the day. A special thanks to the parents and caregivers who made a huge effort, some at very short notice, to be involved in an excellent day.

In closing, it’s good to again reflect that the future of Ponsonby Rugby lies with our Junior club, and again the future looks good.

Mark DarinChairman Ponsonby Junior Rugby

JUNIOR RUGBY CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

JUNIOR TEAM REPORTS

City Under 13 RestrictedBoy, if we could just start the season again! That championship was just a hair’s breadth away.Pre-season started very late and with only just enough boys, we certainly didn’t have a cut to make.Some very talented players emerged and with a few major injuries and some boys dropping out during the first round or so, we managed to find our way through into the championship round.Coxs’ Bay was a fantastic home ground for us – with only 1 loss there all year. This helped us immensely when playing our final game in round 2 against Waitemata to get through to the final four.Ending our first 2 rounds in 3rd position, we drew Marist in the semi finals. Marist had only lost 1 game all season to a very well drilled Carlton side. Our men had the game of their lives and with a little luck would have made the final.Unfortunately this was not to be, but what a great season we had: A fantastic team with great parents and a real team-first thought process producing a great result for a great little team.We managed to get 4 boys into the Under 45kg Auckland rep team and 6 into the Roller Mills teams. A lot of these boys show the ability to take their rugby, later on, to the highest levels.

The competition this year has been a pleasure to be involved with and apart from a minor skirmish with the Suburbs coach there was no animosity at any games.Thanks heaps to all our parents for help given through the year but a huge thank you goes to Debbie as manager and Martyn the assistant coach.The biggest thanks goes to our team - good effort guys! It’s been a pleasure and we wish you all the best in your future years.

Steve Darin (Coach)

City Under 12 OpenWhat a final! Our boys seemed to be shell shocked with the occasion and maybe the crowd got to them a bit in the first half. After questioning their desire to win and seeing the emotions flow at half time, I knew we were in for a big second half and the boys turned it on, with both teams tied at 12-all at full time I had a good feeling our fitness would carry us through, and it did.

It was a suitable and thrilling finale to a season that had its moments on and off the paddock. The boys really dug deep in the final and were rewarded with a blow out win. The pride, happiness, emotions and ‘never give up’ attitude our boys came through with in extra time, is a testament to the “THERE IS A NO EAZY PONY”.


At the start of the season we had 17 registered players for the City Under 12 Open team, but there was no coach. One of our parents put their hand up to coach the team which was a move in the right direction and the team was off. However the coach’s son was unfortunately involved in a car accident and was injured - that was the last the team saw of either the son or the coach.

After much deliberation and discussion, a deal was struck between a few of the fathers where all would help out at some stage during the season and I would oversee the weekly training sessions. I explained to all parents that in order for our team to be successful, all the boys had to attend trainings, as many of the early training runs were for our foundation fitness and ball skills required for the year. To the parents’ and boys’ credit this was done.

The City Under 12 Open team was not the best team individually, by any stretch of the imagination. But collectively, we became number 1. There were teams that we came up against who had players who were bigger, faster and stronger but they all lacked a basic game plan other than just give it to their best player and hope like hell.

The team was made up from a core of boys who had come from the successful Under 11 squad from ‘08. So many of the boys knew each other and had been undefeated the year before. Our first training was a revelation – gaining an understanding of the skill level the boys were at and where I knew they had to be to become competitive and successful in this grade.

We practised for just over an hour every Tuesday and Thursday where we concentrated on fitness and skills. The boys didn’t enjoy the fitness and I didn’t care. What they learned is that in order to be successful, their fitness levels had to be of a high standard and many of the boys pushed themselves to the limit.

To this day there are only 3 boys who can do proper push ups in the team, but the point is the boys all tried hard.

One of the other dilemmas in our team was that of the 17 registered boys, 13 of them were forwards. We didn’t have the luxury of having a balance of backs and forwards and there were a couple of players who told me they were backs but played and looked like forwards. We soon ironed these issues out at the fitness and skills trainings.

Of the original 18 players we lost one to injury and gained 5 more. Harry Poi and Russell Su’a (City Under 11 Open coaches) were kind enough to allow 6 or 7 of their players to come and train/trial with us when they found out we were short. Of those players we kept 2 - Ethan and Luther, who both gained valuable experience playing championship rugby this year.

A big thanks to Geoff Buchanan for his tireless efforts to recruit more boys and who would never listen to me or the manager about disbanding the team early on and was always telling me “I’ve got some players coming down” and true to his word he brought 4 more forwards which bolstered our numbers but not necessarily our predicament.

We also received a player from another club whose father was disenchanted with the previous club and was happy to see what Ponsonby had to offer, and I’ll bet now he was glad he brought him over, when his boy went over in the corner to clinch it for the team in the final.

A big thank you to Shelley and Sandra our co-managers who co-ordinated things behind the scenes for the boys and our parents. They sent the emails out and organised a great BBQ for the final.

Also to the other parents who helped out during the season with the training runs and warm-ups. Grant, Sam, Norm, Nemia, Dave etc – all of your contributions were invaluable to the boys’ development this season.

Thanks to Jayden for the video footage he provided to us of the final. He captured the real heart and passion of the final - the elation the boys showed at the final whistle was beautiful to watch.

I think our team is a great example to all junior teams that you don’t need to have the best players in a competition to win. Our team had a few players who were key to our success but our theme was to push the team rather than the individuals and we did have a team willing to learn and believe in themselves and a basic game plan which utilised our strengths.

Our thanks go out to the Junior club committee for their ongoing support, especially Mark and Pam for their help.

We deserved this win and my hat goes off to the boys. You made me, your parents and the Junior and Senior clubs very proud of your achievements.

Notable individual representative achievements this year:

Walter Dixon Eden Zone - Joel Arthur, Rieko Ioane

Bill McLaren Central Zone - Taina Fox-Matamua, Luteru Tolai

Roller Mills West - Rieko Ioane

Eddie Ioane (Co-coach)

Under 12 RestrictedAs usual, we had a wonderful bunch of boys. They are all a real credit to the parents and caregivers that raise them. It is a privilege to get to know them and pass on one or two rugby and life skills.Every boy deserved a prize for something this year. Half our boys had played a number of seasons and showed enough promise to be selected in the initial Auckland training squads. A number of boys were still new to rugby with this being their second season. They showed huge improvement over the season and I am keen to see how they progress next year. Stephen Perofeta and his family deserve a special mention. This loving family touched our hearts this year. Stephen and his dad, Fale, turned up to our game the day after Stephen’s mother died because they knew we were going to be short. That is more commitment than even I would show. I was away a lot this season and Jeff Mann, our co-coach, was away even more. We were blessed with a wonderful group of parents that stepped in to help the team when we were away and often they did a better job of coaching. Thanks again to all the mums and dads that helped. Special thanks to Adrienne Halley, Dave McPherson, Mark Hornabrook, Paul Moir, Sigi Spath, Willy Gillette and Jeff Mann. We can always improve and everything is a learning experience. From this year, I think the kids can add a number of things to their “kite” (basket of knowledge). I was pleased with the teamwork that the kids displayed. Things did not always go to plan so they had to try harder to keep it together as a team. Towards the end of the season we received a few thrashings. I was proud of how the boys stuck together and supported each other. They kept trying until the final whistle. We made the semi-finals this year, which is not a bad result. If the stars aligned correctly we could have won but injuries to four of our Auckland players towards the end of the season were more than we could cope with. There is always next year!!!

Leon Wijohn (Co-coach)

City Under 11 OpenAny time you win more games than you lose is a good season in most people’s books: we won 11 and lost 3. When you also consider playing full field for the first time, new players, novice rugby players, fundraising, trainings, games, supportive parents and a new management team, then it’s been a busy and successful season.The season highlights for us were:• playing in reasonablly good weather on good grounds; no cancellations• players developing their individual skills, rugby knowledge and playing as

a team


• supportive parents who were keen to help in trainings, coaching, refereeing, fundraising and from the sidelines, and

• playing good footie that players enjoyed playing and supporters liked watching.

We also had the added bonus of having Luther Su’a and Ethan Poi picked to help the Under 12’s because they were short on numbers. The Under 12’s won their Championship. To Luther and Ethan, well done for the courage, commitment and dedication you showed.Thank you to Eddie and his Coaching team, Sandra and Shelly for taking care of our two players. Remember they were only on loan - we need them back for 2010 so they can pass the knowledge and skills they learnt onto our players.Our recipients of this year’s prize giving awards were:• Most Improved – Alfred Sanft• Sportsmanship – Luke Fitzpatrick• Most Promising – Joseph Polamalu• Most Points kicked – Bailey Thomas• Player of the Year – Tavita TeviThey are all deserving of them and as Coaches we had a very hard time in determining them. It says a lot about the team as a whole that we had to deliberate for some time to work out who got what, as we had several players to consider in each category.Our team consisted of: L Bedford, J Dean, L Fitzpatrick, E Jardine-Ngaumo, C Kirkwood-Ale, LC McCarthy-Taylor, T Ngatai, R Nix, E Poi, J Polamalu, G Powell, A Sanft, D Schaaf, D Smith, T Soper, B Thomas, J Tumuenua, S Owen-Urale, S Vaiouga, M Williams, L Su’a, T Tevi, J Pati and C Larsen. Many thanks to our manager Debbie who did a lot of things behind the scenes to ensure we were organised. She also has the added ability to run team warm-ups which was much appreciated by players and coaches. We had supportive parents such as Mike, Jason, Mike, Lee and Clay who always helped out at training. Mike also assisted by attending an associate referees course, refereeing a game and critiquing Russell. John’s coaching expertise was a welcome addition to the management team.Special acknowledgement to Leanne for helping out wherever required, Scott and TLC marketing for their ongoing sponsorship of the team as well as the Luis-Chan family for their generosity and support of our fundraising efforts towards a successful end of year team trip to Rainbows End. Also thanks to Regan and Jayden who were always helpful, Mark and the Junior Committee and Beegee and Ian for always being supportive.We look forward to next year knowing that it will be a challenge. The standards have been set by previous teams and we will “give it a fair crack” in our own indomitable way: with lots of fun, flair, feistiness and passion - it must be a Ponies thing!

Harry Poi / Russell Su’a (Coaches)

Under 11 Restricted BlackWon 8 Lost 5 Overall, significant strides have been made this past season with several new players joining the team, making the squad a vibrant and enjoyable environment to be part off. Although many of the new players had never played the game before, I was impressed with their discipline, commitment and enthusiastic play. Unfortunately our season was interrupted with ground closures and cancellations. After continuous weeks of regular footy the team begun to gel. Towards the end of the season, we began to bridge well over the ball and played a very deliberate game of ball control. The forwards were able to clear

the ball out quickly, dispatching the wings to the open field and on several occasions that resulted in long runs or scores. We worked hard and had a lot of fun over the course of the season and I’m sure this ethos will carry the team in good stead in their next season playing Championship footy.Congratulations to our award winners: Nelson, Logan, Toby, Soloman and Harry.Special thanks to Russell, Tom and Sue for their assistance at trainings and on Saturdays and also to the parents for their support and constant encouragement.Finally, my thanks to the Ponsonby Rugby Club, in particular the Junior Committee, for their assistance and hard work throughout the year.

Chris Kohlhase (Coach)

Under 11 Restricted Blue2009 was a highly successful year for all the boys in the team with only four losses during the season.

With quite a small squad from day one, each of the boys showed great commitment and flexibility in their willingness to play in positions outside their comfort zone. This provided an additional degree of development for many of them.

Stewart Toleafoa and Jesse Amiatu, as Captain and Vice Captain, led from the front and always by example. Stewie continues to show extraordinary flair as an open running back and Jesse played every game in an uncompromising manner that would ordinarily be expected of a loose forward at a much more senior level.

Although many in the team often found themselves physically smaller than many of their opponents, most started the season with a high level of physical fitness, which provided both balance and advantage from the outset.

The team again experienced fantastic support from a large group of family and friends. In turn, the boys delighted their dedicated fans with some entertaining rugby.

Congratulations to Matt Bluck, Stewart Toleafoa and Callum Williams who are the first in the team to achieve their 5 year milestone with the Junior club. All three are outstanding youngsters who represent all the characteristics that make Ponsonby Junior rugby so successful.

Special thanks to Nicole for her total dedication in managing the team as well as Andy for stepping into the assistant coaching role with true kiwi rugby enthusiasm.

Pete Hackshaw (Coach)

City Under 10 OpenIt has been another successful season for the City Heavyweights with a win-loss record the All Blacks would be envious of. In the 21 games played we won 15, lost 4 and drew 2. To cap it all off we picked up the winner’s trophy for the Under 10 invitational tournament hosted by Suburbs.We have enjoyed watching the development and improvement in all of our players during the season. Players who have really stood out for their progress include Zyon, River and Milan. Perhaps all those shuttle runs we did paid off eh boys?I’d like to thank the support provided to me by John, Dallas, Nick and all the parents who have been more than willing to pitch in and help. It’s wonderful to know we have a great team off the field as well as on. The club also appreciates all those afternoon/evening drinking sessions!


I would like to give a heart-felt thank you to all my boys who gave their all every weekend. Your determination and bravery at times was quite humbling and we as supporters have some great memories.And now we look forward to next year: Full field, 15 a-side. Structure and fitness will be the catch-words for 2010. I can’t wait!

Murray Dudding (Coach)

City Under 10 BlueThis Ponies team is getting stronger every year. The defence that has been drilled into them has really started to pay dividends. We had a lot of new players join the squad which added another dimension to the team – a lot of these players shone from the get-go, which encouraged our established team members to step up a notch to make their mark. This new dynamic really lifted the team this year and made it a good, fun season!

Noah Foster was a player with such explosive ferocity that every bone crunching tackle could be felt on the side-line - his ability to beat the man every time and his huge commitment was admirable. In the forwards the work horses were Otto Couper, Solomon Dowd and Henry Stowers always ripping the ball free and running hard. Byron Kingan kept his tackling rate up every game and was very strong and consistent. Tim Dunshea and Kane Smith, the two “Lanky Locks” had a big season around the rucks and mauls. Riley Scurrah mixed it up every game and came up with some very strong runs. Hugo Spath had a great spell for the forwards and was very good support, often getting us out of awkward situations.

In the backs our flying wingers delivered many memorable tries. When Jack Pickering is off not many can get close. Also when Oscar Sharp gets wound up, he can carve up a full back line while on the other side Patrick Hickey moved like lightning. Finlay Parker and Te Manukaimiro Melbourne were new this season both showed loads of enthusiasm and good growth through the year. Grady Bower also in his first season for the team was strong and smart on both attack and defence - he has the ability to go all the way. James Gorrie played very well at half back, always tackling way above his weight, as well as having some very strong runs.

Tim Erson was the very able and enthusiastic support Coach while Claire Kingan–Jones was again a very able and brilliant Manager. The support from the sideline was deafening at times! The boys played some great games but the most outstanding was against Pakuranga when the whole team was on fire. We scored 20+ tries and really played to maximum potential (very nice work).

A very satisfying and rewarding year!

Struan Kingan (Coach)

Kelston Under 10 RestrictedWell, another season has passed and as always I am in awe of the development of these young kids. We had a good foundation of players follow us through from last year and were lucky to have some great new talent join us as well.

The boys had a fantastic start, remaining undefeated for most of the season, only losing three games towards the end. Considering the quality of the opposition in what was a closely contested competition this was no easy feat and the boys should be extremely proud of themselves.

I could easily add comment for every player but this would turn into a very long read so of particular mention are the following players: Haini Su’a, running and tackling super star; Sam Darin, gutsy forward who has improved dramatically with every game; Caleb Holt, who only knows one way and that is forward, also a master thief of opposition ball; Caleb Kepu, fights well above his weight

and shows outstanding leadership qualities; Kiriffi Leilua, running, tackling and kicking machine…watch this space; Rey Michaels, talented running first five with great vision; David Otukolo, all round quality back who’s not afraid to speak up and lead his team around the paddock.

Mark, Fiona and I all agree that this is a very special group of kids, not only due to their on field ability but because of their team spirit, positive attitude towards each other and their coaches. We are all fizzing about our first season of 15 a-side, full field rugby next year.

On behalf of the management team, I would like to thank the boys, parents and supporters for a great season and hope you all have a fantastic summer.

See you next year!Andrew Holt (Coach)

City Under 10 Restricted BlackWith some new boys coming across from other codes this year, we started the season with a great deal of skills to learn, not to mention the all important TACKLE. For many of them it was their first year of tackling and so the first few weeks of the season were spent focusing on all the basic skills, with the clear need to focus building confidence and bravery whilst also encouraging the boys to find their spirit as a team rather than individuals. As the weeks went on our handful of more experienced players from last year proved their worth on a weekly basis. Aly Moaga Sua, our star player scored the majority of tries over the season, often running the full length of the field to do so. Other kids stepped up: notably Ben Sommerville, after an early move from the backs to the forwards, played hard every Saturday, moving the game forward and digging deep every week. Joe Dickey, Jonty Ruha, Tudreu Davis, Tane Wolfgramm and Joe Kennedy all played consistently well and each deserved the multiple awards they were given throughout the season. Two thirds of the way though the season both Lucca Jeanne & Quinn Hickling made outstanding improvements to their games, both being awarded Player of Day and Tackler of Day and showing us that commitment and training hard really makes the difference. I’d also like to acknowledge Reid Walker, Rudi Walters, Liam Watter, Seth O’Conner, Finn Ross and Ezra Shnayderman, all players who settled into their game over the season and contributed to our overall team effort. Our team improved enormously over the season, and each boy individually progressed in their skill and commitment levels. We were often slow to start but geared up and fought back with heart. Tactics got better, tackling improved and some kids stepped up and showed good leadership skills. And although we often found ourselves competing against bigger, faster and more dominating teams, the kids never lost heart, kept their heads high and enjoyed all the games immensely.The boys are looking forward to next year: full field and 15 a-side. I hope they spend their summer running hard and staying fit!Special thanks to our coaches, Steve Kennedy, Sam Ruha and Stan Wolfgramm, all of whom committed themselves to 2 training sessions every week and a whole lot of dedication to the job. We thank also Graeme Emery and Wayne McDonald for their time at training and turning up for our games. Their assistance was greatly appreciated. And a huge thanks to Justin and Geoff Ross and Canterbury for sponsoring the kids into track suits. They wore them proudly all season! Appreciation also to the Junior Committee who have been consistently supportive. They do a great job. Finally I would like to acknowledge the fantastic support of the parents. It’s been a pleasure to stand on the sideline with them yelling and screaming every Saturday morning. Their commitment, humour and support have contributed to a wonderful season for our boys.

Julie Smith (Manager)


City Under 10 Restricted PoniesAnother good year for this team who continue to ‘punch above their weight’. The whole squad from 2008 returned this year as well as a few extra meaning we had 16 boys each week. This meant we were constantly trying to keep rotating players as much as possible - certainly a challenge when you’re in a tight game and you have to put weaker players on and remove boys who are playing well.The pre-season was a concern with a couple of 50 point losses out at Pakuranga. We were worried that our team was in for a long season but this wasn’t the case. Once the season proper started we competed well in all games and only had 3 losses for the year.Highlights: Playing the Eden teams 3 times and winning all games both home and away. We got convincingly beaten by them last year so this was a nice turn around.Lowlights: The games against Suburbs where they have an “A” and “B” team. The A team have more coaches than a Super 14 squad and are over the top competitive. The B team was woeful and just did head high tackles all day. Having the two BYEs as there were an odd number of teams in our division.The Under 10 Ponies have developed into a great group of kids who get on well both on and off the field. A few boys really stepped up and made their presence felt this season… Richard Bluck, Peter Dyer, Jackson Smolenski scored 75 tries between them. Others contributed well each week and there was a great overall lift in base level skills.The squad is really looking forward to playing 15 a-side on the full field next year. We’ll need to start training a bit earlier to work on fitness and make sure we get on a rugby field at Cox’s Bay in 2010. This season we were relegated to training on the soccer field all season. Here’s hoping the no.1 ground is up and running.

Luke Howard (Coach), Mark Maddren (Assistant Coach)

City Under 9 Restricted Black and PoniesWe started the season as the Ponsonby Black Under 9 Team. The problem was that we had twenty-three boys, not really enough for 2 teams but way too many for one. With Ponsonby Blue already having 14 or 15 players, Paul and I decided that it was better if all the kids played as much rugby as possible so we continued to train as one team but entered another team, Ponsonby Ponies, in the grade. We started with only about 60% of the players having played rugby last year so the skill levels were quite different at the start of the year. Rather than stack one team with all the good players we tried to evenly mix the teams with both experienced and non experienced players. It was a credit to the parents that trainings were well attended. The boys were keen to learn and this was evident in the huge improvements made by both teams in terms of their development in playing rugby together. We came up against some strong opposition during the year but managed to win about 70 - 80% of our games.A big thanks should go to some of the parents who helped take one of the teams when one coaching staff member in particular (Paul) was swanning around overseas. To be fair we probably missed an equal amount of games. A great bunch of kids who really improved during the season! e defender.Thanks to Maddison Bartlett for her assistance in managing our team

Paul Bartlett and David McElroy (Coaches)

City Under 8 Restricted BlueThe City Under 8 team had another great year again winning the majority of its games.Experienced players from last year – Ben Megson, Kisione Cocker-Valu, Noah Logan, Bryant Eteaki, Harry Fane, Aris Tumuenua, Lennox Shaw and Michael Solomona – all performed well, displaying and developing very good passing, side-stepping and tackling skills.Newcomers to the team added spark and firepower. David Perofeta scored many outstanding tries. Angus Burling made several charging runs. Macallister Clark and Gabriel Kofoed combined well at the restart. Joshua Bedford and Lacroix Wilcox fought hard in the tight. Ben Seavill, Zac O’Meagher, Oscar Smith and Kepueli Tahifote were elusive with their pace and side-stepping.Highlights of the season were our two clashes with the City Under 8 Black team. We won one game each with the difference being one try in both games. These games were played with skill, intensity and fantastic spirit from both players and supporters.Special thanks to Carl Burling, our Manager and to the parents, grandparents and families for their great support of their kids and the team.

Bryan Megson (Coach)

City Under 8 Restricted BlackIt was a good season of rugby for our team this year considering we were a new team. The team also had some members who had their first taste of playing rugby this season.Still, we did extremely well and as coaches, we are proud of the team’s overall performance. Playing rugby at this tender age at junior level for the kids is about a lot of things such as having fun, learning various skills particular to rugby, learning to have a good proud team spirit and great camaraderie among team mates. Moreover, they learn to play collectively as a team but also each individual learns to utilise their own talents, displaying their individual skills whether they are on defence or on attack. Furthermore, they learn that attendance at training is important for their development as a team and as individuals and it contributes to their fitness levels, skills, confidence and most times, it contributes to results on game days.Another important skill we have taught kids in our team is to always play fair and know how to win and know how to lose. Again, I am proud of our entire team - the players and also the coaches, managers, referees, parents as well as grandparents and siblings and other supporters.I am looking forward to next year. We have laid the foundation for our team this year and next year we will definitely build on it to make our team stronger. Finally yet importantly, I’d like to acknowledge our club and especially the Junior committee - to Mark Darin and his team for their hard work and commitment for our Junior teams at Ponsonby.

CheersMurphy Sola (Coach)

City Under 7 WhiteTALOFA and KIORANA! It was the 1st year of rugby for the majority of players, including coach and manager. So it was a learning curve for all. The first half of the season was about getting the kids’ basic skills primed before we really got some good wins under our belt.

We had a good mix of skill levels in the team. We achieved ‘narrowing that gap’ with some great attitude and commitment at training. I was well assisted at trainings and on game days by fantastic parents and friends. Special thanks go to Alistair White (assistant coach), Daryl Smithson, Mike Paranihi and Dallas Dudding. We were well organised with parents and players kept informed with trainings and other matters by our very active manager Carly.

2007 ANNUAL REPORT 39

Our first win came in our third game. Kids were training and playing more intensively up to that game which was pleasing to see. We had a naturally talented core of players led by Eli Margison (Mr Smooth). Others in the group were Ben Smith (Crusaders!!), Alex Smithson (110% man) and Ethan Puletiuatoa (Superman).

As the season progressed so did the team’s skills and involvement. James White (Hypo Dude), Finau Taufalele (Tongan Torpedo), William Fa’aui (Silent Assassin), Jack Paranihi (Ninja Rippa), Jack Little (Little Dynamo), Seaton Sharp (Straight up the guts), Oscar Fern (Team man), Joel Dudding (Lean on me) and Logan Fitzpatrick (Black Fern).

Logan was our only girl in the team, fitting in with all the smelly boys. The season was too short and I saw some real progress from her. Well done. Watch out next year boys!

In summary, the team played brilliant rugby. I am proud and honoured to coach these young people. We won more than we lost, but the real achievement was the progress with the kids’ basic rugby skills. Throughout all our games we were called up for only 3 forward passes, a great achievement considering for the majority of our team, it was their first year of rugby.

They learnt the importance of teamwork and good sportsmanship. Tries were scored as a result of the team’s efforts to get the try scorer into position. Most of all the kids had fun playing our national game - Rugby!

Tackle next year – just another obstacle my kids will smash through. Bring it on!!

A word of thanks goes to Nick Margison of Signpak NZ Ltd for sponsoring the team.

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships” – Michael Jordon.

Siu Puletiuatoa (Coach)

City Under 7 BlackWe had a great season this year with a group of very enthusiastic kids who were well supported by an even more enthusiastic group of parents. Player profiles are below. Bring on 2010 - the first year of tackle!! Tanner Austin’s confidence grew as the season went on, some great hard running up the middle and will be invaluable in the set pieces next year. Lucas Bennett was as elusive as ever with some searing runs down both flanks. Gabriel Boshier had a great first year of rugby, ball skills developed well and some great ball carrying in the back half of the season. Jack Duncan had defence, defence, defence. JD Junior tirelessly lead the defensive patterns in the middle of the field and backed that up with some great support play. Max Dunshea was unstoppable when on the charge with relentless pace and the most powerful fend in the Under 7 grade. The left hand corner became “Max’s Corner” by the end of the season. Max Hackshaw was back to his best in the back half of the season with an uncompromising approach to the game. He led from the front with some bruising running through the middle of the ruck and great support play. Oscar Kingan worked tirelessly all year leading the cover defensive patterns, some great support play resulting in plenty of well taken tries. Ollie MacFarlane, Twinkle Toes was back and on fire all season. He dominated the right wing with some elusive running and always managed to put himself into the right place at the right time, a sign of true class. Jed Munro, Jedi Warrior, used the force to great effect encouraging stellar performances from his team mates. Some great running up the middle of the field and always in support. Jett Robertson, The Jet Fighter, dominated the Under 7 grade with some blitzkrieg-like attacks on the opposition try line. Fantastic running, great balance and always a threat. Gabriel Ross was largely MIA this season but showed signs of his class with some great performances in the first part of the season. Samuel Snell, Stepping Sammy,

stepped up again, his key assets to great advantage with some fantastic jinking and jiving runs. Set up many great counter attacking opportunities all year. Cole Tapper, the Cole Miner battled away in the trenches all season with some great direct running to set up his outsides. He worked hard on defence all season and his enthusiasm lifted the team exactly when it was needed. Joe Taylor, Mr. Rugby lived and breathed the game all season – some breathtaking performances on attack and defence. He used his power right step to destroy opposition defences and made the right corner “Joe’s Corner”. Brooke Vile had dedication plus with an uncompromising pursuit of the perfect game. Developed amazing ball skills throughout the year and his running game went to a new level in the back half of the season. An invaluable asset to the team.

Gary Wulf (Coach)

City Under 7 PoniesThe phrase “sons in the sun” summarises this year’s rugby season and Ponies Under 7 boys made the most of it. An initial line-up of 15 players self-regulated down to 13 and, while that provided some challenges from a managerial perspective in terms of having to sub enthusiastic boys off after five minute lots, grumbles were few and smiles were plenty.At 6 and 7 years old, the team was a great blend of new rugby recruits and “older” seasoned stalwarts already into their third year of the game. Talent that shone in the first few games was generally maintained and, thanks to the patience and expertise of Coach Frank Aso, enhanced over the months. Sonny Stowers and Vincent McKay were the team’s top try-scorers running in 40 apiece for the season, while Carlos Young-Aso and Joe Davey hit the 30s and 20s respectively.While the record of 10 wins, seven draws and three losses was one the Ponies are very proud of, their biggest achievements were their sportsmanship and determination to do their best. Parent helpers played their part too with the likes of Colin McKay and Jason Scott taking to the field to keep the boys running in the right direction and pick up wayward tags that regularly fell off mid-flight. The end-of-season team get-together at Cox’s Bay for a parents vs kids game of touch which was followed by a barbecue and informal prize giving was a great success, except for the two dads who suffered age-related injuries!Using the 2009 Junior season as my benchmark, I’d have no hesitation volunteering to be manager of this great bunch of boys again.

Wendy Rimmer (Manager)

Kelston Under 6 Blue2009 has been a great year for Kelston Under 6 Blue. We have had a couple of boys continuing on from the under 6’s last year who kicked started the year for us and led the way. The team got on really well over the year and lots of new friendships were made. Over the season we’ve had a lot of fun and learnt a lot of new skills - “TURN AND PASS” will reverberate through their ears for the rest of the year. Thursday night trainings were full on with the boys only wanting to play ‘Ben 10 tag’ (an adaptation on bullrush), just one of the many drills passed on by the Small Blacks Team. They were great drills that kept the team interested at training, which for four, five and six year olds was vital. The progress made by the guys from the beginning of the season to the end was noticeable, with a lot of team work and passing. Congratulations to Casey Wills, our top try scorer, who led the way – our Player of the Year award richly deserved. One to watch for the future! Great achievement also by Tomas Revington and Kobe Novata-Nee, whose team play throughout the season deserved recognition. And Oliver Frear whose development over the season earned him most improved player. Well done guys.

40 Ponsonby District Rugby Football Club (Inc.)40 Ponsonby District Rugby Football Club (Inc.)

A big thanks to all the parents who encouraged their kids from the side lines and helped out at Thursday night training and the games on Saturdays. It a great motivator for the team when the sidelines are cheering them on.

Hope to see you all again next year.Kylie Muir (Manager)

City Under 6 CityWhat a great season! 13 wins from 14 games for a newly formed team.Five of the team came from the 2008 Under 6 White team and were joined by seven keen new players to form a great team unit. Parental support was a huge factor in our team’s success, as players and family alike enjoyed a fun and rewarding season on the footy field.Our early try scoring champion, Jovis Meredith, showed the boys how to do it and finished being rewarded with our Player of the Season for no less than 31 tries. Reagan Hoey, a bit of a star player from 2008, showed his all round skills throughout the season and bought home 33 tries. Ethan Farman became a key player with many bursting tries, rips, and pick ups. Our most Improved player for the season, Tom Hope, warmed up to become quite the try scorer with the most determined face you have ever seen. A new player to the game, Nicholas Matauiau showed great commitment and was a valuable player always there on back up. Henry Silika, another new player, was our Sportsmanship nominee for his dedication and skill. Isaac Pearce became our ‘Joe Rokocoko’ burning up the sidelines for try after try. Our only female player, Phoebe Coyte was “our pig-tailed secret weapon” and an integral part of the team providing many great moments on the field. Felix Watson showed he can mix it with the try line on a number of occasions, until he broke his arm that is. Forever defending and diving for rips, Madoc Lawson found the try line for the first time in the last seconds of the last game. Wesley Kirwan has the surname and the laid back approach of a budding rugby star. And our youngest player, Myer Cuthbert, was a speedster who made some great rips.We were pleased to be awarded Team of the Month at the August prizegiving and liked the Ponsonby drink bottles. Coaches Tim and Jeremy made practices fun and fostered true team spirit by encouraging all to participate. There was fantastic parental support to get the boys, & girl, to practices and games alike. Thanks to Jacqui Watson for photographing all of the great moments on field. A very good start for our young rugby players.

So many great moments to recall. Just a great season! Sonya Brooks (Manager)

City Under 6 PoniesThe year in review:The season began with a team of 10 eager and excitable boys, the majority were still aged 4 years old and not yet at school. Add in two coaches with no experience and this was clearly going to be a learning curve for all involved. The first practice, while enjoyed by the boys, showed that we needed to adjust our expectations and level of drills to achieve some semblance of organised chaos. The first few pre-season games were about facing the right way, not ripping your own players and staying within the field of play. As the season progressed, the boys improved dramatically and really played as a team rather than a group of individuals. Practices also improved as we moved to drills that helped with basic ball skills but were also enjoyed by the boys. The warm down sessions after each practice always got a few strange looks from the other older teams practising on the same field. Game day was a special day and it always gave the coaches and parents a great sense of pride when the boys could string together 4 or 5 passes in the one phase. The team was ably led from the front by the older contingent of Tana Hakaraia, Luka Clayton, James Campbell and Deyonte Dean. These boys could physically match most opposition and all had a nose for the try line. They provided the go forward and defence that the under 5 year old boys watched

and began to follow. The rest of the team, Nick Tapper, Charlie Miller, Jonathan Creak, Tom Stephenson, Cole Bradford and Henry Kaye started as under 5 boys and finished the year as Ponies. The under 5’s were the players that experienced the greatest level of improvement as once they eventually clicked as to what was happening, their confidence and participation grew. These boys will form the hub of next year’s under 6 team and they will be the ones passing their knowledge on to the next intake of younger players.In terms of results for the year, we won more than we lost. For most games the boys were not concerned with the overall score, they were more concerned about high fiving their player who did score. As coaches, the most satisfying thing was watching the boys play together as a team and really enjoy each others’ company on Wednesdays and Saturdays. We would like to thank the parents for their support in taking the boys to practice and games and for the vocal support on the sidelines. I know that the boys get a real “buzz” when they see all the excited parents on the sidelines shouting and cheering. After each run or rip they look to the sidelines for reaction. It made the season a lot easier having a great bunch of parents who were simply pleased to see their boys participating and enjoying themselves, regardless of the result.As coaches we got to know each boy pretty well over the past season and the parents should be just as proud of them as we are. They have been a pleasure to coach.

Joe Kaye (Coach)

City Under 6 WhiteThe U6 White team in 2009 was made up of a group of enthusiastic first year players combined with a couple of players in their second season of rugby. The team came together well in the first few weeks under the coaching of Tanya Browne who was then joined by Chantal (Shorty) Baker-McKittrick.Early in the season the team developed a good team culture as they learnt the basics of Ripper Rugby and while no-one was really interested in the scores they managed to play well enough every week to keep the boys (and girl) interested. Attendance at training during the season was good and the team seemed to enjoy training in the sawdust in the gym.It was great to watch players like Chris Lissington, Xavier Milbank, Cyan Tucker, Andre Slade and Riley Browne over the season and see their understanding of the game develop. Jed Scott, Zavier Edmonds, Taj Mangan and Roman Faamausili were all key members of the team with “little” Roman’s brilliant running often eluding the opposition.Each month the Junior Club held a Player of the Month presentation and the Under 6 winners were Bailey Paki, Juelz Baker, Ella Metson and Lex Revell-Lewis. All were deserved winners. Both Bailey and Ella were try scoring machines with Ella scoring a record 5 tries in a single game.The end of season team trophies were awarded as follows:• Player of the Year – Ella Metson• Best Performed U6 Player – Bailey Paki• Best Sportsmanship – Juelz Baker• Most Improved Player – Zavier EdmondsA highlight for the team was playing a “Curtain Raiser” game for the Blues at North Harbour Stadium early in the season. Another highlight was the Under 6 team selling the most raffle tickets in the Junior club’s raffle and raising $508 in team funds which was used to buy the team an end of season gift. Thanks to the Revell-Lewis family for a fantastic effort selling raffle tickets.Special thanks must go to the parents, grandparents (the noisy ones with the blue and black flags on the try line so the team knew which direction to run) and all the other supporters who turned out to support the team each week. Thanks also to Jason Mangan for administering the Under 6 website. Extra special thanks should go to Grant Metson the team’s official photographer who captured many memorable photos of these budding Premier players of the future.

Joanne Edmonds (Team Manager)

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