Sponsored: Tussocks set to light up ‘Car Horn Valley’

The Awatere Rugby Club will be under the spotlight in 2025 - literally and figuratively.

With the focus in Marlborough club rugby returning to “grassroots” level as the number of premier teams subsides, the Seddon-based club are focussed on developing what they call their “country culture”.

Their pro-active committee has been hard at work putting a framework in place for rugby success, at both junior and senior levels.

Among the improvements this season is the placement of new floodlights on both the number one ground and the adjoining training field. They are used for regular Tuesday and Friday practice sessions and are capable of providing enough light for Friday night matches.

They also put on food for the players, some of whom have had to drive some distance, after Thursday night training.

The club has been around since 1906 and has enjoyed plenty of success, while becoming an integral component of the Seddon-based community.

Since the dissolution of the East Coast premier side, Awatere have contested the Marlborough sub union division two competition, winning the title in 2021.

This year they have assembled a strong squad of around 26 players, intent on giving a good account of themselves in the newly-named senior A competition.

The side have already had a pre-season hit-out against Kaikoura, which resulted in a 24-24 draw, meaning the “Tussock Jumpers” retained the Fissenden Shield.

They will again be captained by the experienced Wilson Meadowcroft, with seasoned veterans such as Seymour Lambert and Davey Falcon Jones at his shoulder.

Awatere club captain Jimmy Ryan said, “we have a good solid team back from last year, with a few new players to add to the mix such as Dylan Locke, James Lindstrom and former player Paddy Kerr”.

Jimmy said they boys relish the “country culture”.

“Being a Tussock is not about how good you are, being a good Tussock means being a good club man, which is what our club’s all about at the moment.”

Jimmy said that at a recent meeting between Marlborough clubs and the Tasman union it was suggested that certain changes were needed to better fit the needs of the modern-day clubs.

The clubs suggested that the competition name revert to senior, that teams would field 23 players, with no rolling subs, and there would be with no play on Matariki or King’s Birthday Weekends.

“We recognise that a lot of the players now have got young families … they watch their kids play in the morning so we felt the [senior] games should start at 2pm.

“The changes were all about making rugby more family-friendly and Tasman agreed with that.

“They said ‘you tell us what suits you guys in your environment’, so that’s what we have come back with.”

If community buy-in is an indicator of sporting success Awatere are already winners.

“We are lucky here in the Awatere because our committee has got 15 or 16 people on it, it’s pretty strong and gets things done,” said Jimmy.

“And our clubrooms are generally packed after home games.”

The Tussock Jumpers have drawn the bye when the competition begins on May 3, a timely break for the duckshooters among the players, with their first home match at the renowned ‘Car Horn Valley’, against Waitohi on May 17.

The Awatere senior A team 2025: Al Grinter, Brad Marfell, Davey Falcon Jones, Hamish Harcus, Sean Kennedy, Seymour Lambert, Stu Brown, Caelin Marcroft, Wilson Meadowcroft (captain), Wiremu Falcon Jones, Angus Phillips, Ben McWilliam, Charlie Renner, Isaiah Onolevu, Myles Grinter, Tyler Keen, Lewis Renner, Paddy Kerr, Coen Stewart, Dylan Locke, Greg Hammond, Hunter Simpson, James Lindstrom, John Neame, Issac Foster. Coaches: Terry Renner, Sam Lunn, Rob Waikawa, Sam Brown, Ben Norton. Manager Paul Kemp.

Awatere junior club captain Alice Norton says the club had 65 registered JAB players this season, spread across U6, U7, U8, U10 and U12 teams.

“We welcome 14 new players across the grades which is exciting. The club has a fabulous team of coaches and managers giving up their time for our kids. We have a big emphasis on positive team culture, player safety and everyone is a part of 'our big rugby family'.”

The Awatere club would like to acknowledge their major sponsor, the Marlborough Tour Company, and thank the following organisations for help with funding for the new lights: Seddon Lions Club, Blenheim South Rotary, Aotea Electrical, Pelorus Trust and the Awatere Rugby Golf Ball Drop.