Rugby Southland are pleased to announce three new staff have joined the community rugby department, all with valuable Rugby knowledge and experience.

Former Southland Flanker Hua Tamariki will has accepted the ‘Community Rugby Manager’ role, which was vacated by Bob Cullen in December last year.

Hua, who played 37 games for Southland between 2005-10 , including the British & Irish Lions in ‘05 and the famous Shield win in 2009, is looking forward to connecting with the Southland Rugby Community.

Coming from a Policing background, and most recently, WorkSafe NZ, he is no stranger to systems, processes, and community relationships.

“I’m excited to take on this role and support our GM in fostering and growing the game we all love.

The community rugby team here at Rugby Southland are passionate rugby people. They have a broad range of skills, knowledge, and experience, and I look forward to adding to that collective mind-set and enthusiasm. We have some exciting challenges ahead, and my immediate focus over the first few weeks will be to re-establish existing and build new relationships with club reps whilst working alongside our talented RDOs in schools and junior programmes.”

With Omicron knocking on Southland’s door daily, Hua and his team are aware of the challenges the coming months will bring.

“What I have identified in my short time here with the community team, is that our people are working very hard to understand the guidance that we are bound by in terms of covid restrictions and what that may look like for all our community competitions.

Our intentions will be to share our directives as and when they come to us and as soon as possible with the rugby community”

Joining Hua are Southland Boys High Alumni Scott Eade and Flynn Thomas. Eade will work full time as Rugby Southland ‘Pathways Manager’, with the goal to establish a program for young players to work their way to the academy space and beyond, which has begun with the town and country muster days in Gore and Invercargill last week. Eade played more than 70 games for Southland between 2011 and 2020, as well as games for the NZ U20’s and Highlanders.

Flynn Thomas, who debuted for Southland in 2017, has joined Rugby Southland as a Rugby Development Officer who will work in our Southland schools and clubs to develop existing players and attract new individuals to the game. Flynn, a hooker for the Southland Stags and former NZ U20’s has just returned from pre-season training with the Highlanders. The former Southland Captain is keen to get stuck in to the role.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to be able to join the community rugby team at Rugby Southland and have the opportunity to give back to the community game in any way that I can" says Thomas. 

"Last year I was able to experience a taste of the role working alongside members of the team in the coach education space, which was a driving force behind my decision to take on the role full time.”

It’s not just the fulltime rugby environment that Flynn is excited about, adding personal development is a priority.

“I feel that this role will not only further my development on the field as a player but also as a person through being able to work alongside the local talent throughout the province. I’m excited to be able to get out into the community when restrictions allow the opportunity to start building connections with coaches and aid in the development of our future NPC and Farah Palmer Cup players”.

Both Thomas and Eade are excited about the role and the opportunity to expand their Rugby lifestyle off the field while continuing to play in the Go Bus premier grade.

The 2022 Rugby Southland Community Rugby Team

Hua Tamariki – Community Rugby Manager

Dermot Hughes – Community Operations Manager

Scott Eade – Pathways Manager

Georgia Mason –Rugby Development Officer

Flynn Thomas – Rugby Development Officer

Article added: Wednesday 23 February 2022