Central to go it alone in 2025

And then there was one.

Marlborough will be represented by just one team when the Tasman Trophy premier rugby competition kicks off on April 5.

Central will be the region’s sole participant in the annual battle between the top club sides from Marlborough and Nelson.

The writing has been on the wall for a number of seasons.

From the early Tasman Trophy days, when Marlborough boasted six sides (Central, Moutere, Waitohi, Renwick, Harlequins and Awatere) numbers keen to take part in the top of the south exchange have waned.

When Waitohi became the first Marlborough side to claim the trophy, in 2014, they had five Marlborough rivals for company.

Awatere dropped out in 2015 but returned for the following season in a coalition with the Kaikoura club, united under the East Coast banner, restoring the six-team representation.

In 2018, it was Harlequins’ turn to drop out, leaving just a handful of premier teams.

In 2021 that number dropped to four, Moutere and East Coast/Awatere combining forces and joining Waitohi, Central and Renwick in a four-pronged trophy assault.

A year later the combined side had gone, leaving just the Tohis, Blues and Green Machine involved.

Then, in 2023, Renwick dropped out, Moutere returning to maintain the status quo with Waitohi and Central but, last year, the Tohis were unable to field a team, meaning there were only two Marlborough-based participants.

Now a single side remains in the mix. Moutere have been unable to get player numbers confirmed and informed Tasman rugby recently that they are out in 2025. A few of their leading players, keen to get premier play, will join up with Central.

Five Nelson sides will return – Marist, Waimea Old Boys, John Goodman Shield holders Stoke, Nelson and defending champs Kahurangi. Competition begins on Saturday, April 5.

Kahu Marfell, Tasman’s community rugby manager, described the situation as “disappointing”.

“It’s certainly not ideal. There was talk of creating a Renwick/Moutere combination [to play in the Tasman Trophy], which didn’t quite make it … so now there needs to be some work put in to work out how to attract players and then retain players.”

The drop off in premier teams is likely to have a flow-on effect for the second tier senior A competition, which kicks off on May 3.

It is expected that there will be six teams contesting that title (Renwick, Central, Waitohi, Pelorus, Harlequins and Awatere), with Moutere a possible participant.