Message #64390

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Hurricanes in his backyard

By KATIE FARMAN - Wairarapa News | 10:54AM - Thursday, 03 December 2009



EAGERLY WAITING: Mangatainoka farmer and rugby fan Neil Symonds
is thrilled to be hosting next January's Super 14 pre-season
game between the Hurricanes and the Blues on his farm.

Neil Symonds can't believe his luck. The rugby mad Mangatainoka farmer, who has spent the best part of 12 years traveling all around the countryside with his mates to support the Hurricanes, will only have to venture as far as his backyard next year to watch the Hurricanes take on the Auckland Blues in a Rebel Sport Super 14 pre-season game.

Symonds, or Skin as he is widely known as, owns the farm on which the Mangatainoka Rugby Football Club grounds are located. For the last few weeks the 63-year-old has been busy preparing the ground for the game on January 23, which is expected to draw crowds from all over the lower North Island.

"We've been busy transforming the paddock into a field that even those Jaffa's would be proud of," says Symonds. "We've run a seven ton roller over the ground every week so it's smooth enough to play bowls on. We've put the posts up and painted them, and now are getting ready to erect the grandstands."

The 2010 Super 14 pre-season opener is the brainchild of Tui Brewery commercial manager and Wairarapa resident Nick Rogers. He said to date 3000 of the available 6500 seated-tickets have been sold and he was confident the rest would sell before kick off, especially because the afternoon game is being billed as a festival of sport with pre match and post match entertainment.

"This is the sort of rugby the New Zealand public is seeking — they want to come for the love of their game, their team and in their area," he said. "We've a fantastic relationship with the Hurricanes, both as a sponsor and partner, and they always want to get involved in the wider franchise community. So we thought why not bring the big show to the small town. We want to show how Mangatainoka, a small town community, can bring rugby to life."

Over 125 tons of scaffolding has been ordered to build enough stands for every ticket holder with the biggest stand having capacity for 3500 punters. Rogers says the community is rallying behind the event with several businesses offering to help out including Higgins, Fitzgerald Transport and the local fire brigade among many. He also praises Symonds who is going above and beyond the call of duty to prepare the grounds.

"Skin's passion for the game is phenomenal and just brilliant to see," says Rogers. "And I think there is a little bit of ‘Skin’ in every rugby supporter in NZ and that is what is sad  — I don't think the some of the NZRFU really understand the real level of support the game has in provincial New Zealand."

Symonds, one of 11 children, was born and raised in the small northern Wairarapa town where as a kid he played halfback for the Mangatainoka RFC. However years later he was forced to withdraw from the sport with eye problems and ever since has taken a key supporters role. As a 12-year season ticket holder for the Hurricanes he is used to traveling two hours each way to attend almost all of their matches at the Cake Tin and along the way meet up with his reliable band of "farmer mates" from Eketahuna, Carterton and Bulls. He also sat next to BJ Williams in the stand at Cardiff when the All Blacks were beaten by France in the quarter finals of the 2007 World Cup.

"Look I just love rugby and I've supported the Hurricanes from day one," he says. "My most memorable game was trying to watch them play the good old Crusaders that night in the fog in Christchurch ... what an extraordinary sight."

In recent months with much sideline comment focusing on the New Zealand Rugby Union's possible decision to cull the number of teams competing in the National Provincial Cup, he hopes the game in Mangatainoka will help bring about a groundswell of grassroots support.

"Rugby's been king in my lifetime and I really want it to stay that way," he says. "We need to bring it back to grassroots again and I really hope this game will help provide that catalyst and bring a whole heap of positive spin-offs."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/local/wairarapa-news/3122513/Hurricanes-in-his-backyard


I wonder if Im2Sexy4MyPants is planing to be at the game to perve at the Tui girls?