Raetihi rugby player on tour

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 7, Issue 360, 30 October 1990, Page 16

Raetihi rugby player on tour

BYWALTER SUE Thomas Waara from the Raetihi Rugby Club and Tod Barrell from the Utiku and Old Boys Rugby Club recently left on a tour of a lifetime with the New Zealand Rugby News team through the U.S.A, Germany, Wales and England. The tour is run annually and arranged by the Rugby News. Many All Blacks, Development Squad members and Divisional team members have taken part in these tours in the past and they are designed to give promising young players a direction to aim for in rugby. Coaching co-ordinator Peter Goldsmith is the manager of the team and former All Black Sid Going and Peter Thorburn the current provincial coach for North Shore Province have control of the team which is made up of colt players from all over New Zealand. Thomas has already been on a similar tour to Argentina in 1988 as a nineteen year old. Thomas and Tod were contacted by phone in Wales on Sunday night (New Zealand time). They had just woken up for the pre game breakfast and although the weather has been wet and cold they claim that the team spirit is great and they have been having an excellent time. They have been happy with the experience and coaching. Before the team left Auckland, they enjoyed coaching sessions with Auckland Rugby Union coaching staff of Bryan

Williams, Wess Toki, Bruce Robertson, Ron Williams and several other positional specialist coaches. After outfitting and team photos the team flew to Frankfurt in Germany after stopovers in Honolulu, San Francisco and Chicago. Following the stopover in Chicago some members developed food poisoning which added to the niggly injuries that some of the players were carrying. At one stage Thomas, who had received a clearance before leaving Auckland, thought that he was going to be sent home for his ankle problem but it seems to have come right. Things are not so lucky for a team mate who is said to be suffering from encephalitis and # was left in a Heidelberg hospital in Germany. The team have enjoyed the many sights in Germany and have had an

official welcome to Heidelberg City Hall and Heideling Castle. Their first game was against the "Rugby Baden Wurtemburg Club" which the New Zealand team beat 39-3. Tod Barrell had an excellent game that day. The second game was against a "German Students invitation team" which they won 21-3. Many New Zealanders have been supporting the team in Germany and now in Wales. Although they have been in England and Wales for three days, visits to the historical castles and other areas have been exciting for the two players. Tod already has the reputation of being the team clown, according to Thomas, "in the true Utiku Old Boys Style." On Sunday the boys were preparing for their third game against East Districts in Cardiff. The team' has four more games in- Wales. Against

"Monmouthshire" , "Central Glamogan" in Aberavon "Mid District in Abercyon and the Welsh RFU Presidents XV in Pontypridd. They have a final game against London Division in London. Buck Shelford and Frano Botica have been called in to attend trainings and games. Both

Thomas and Tod have received substantial financial sponsorship from their respective clubs, Raetihi and Utiku, Northern Wanganui Rugby Union, Ruapehu Rovers and the Wanganui Rugby Union. Thomas received further support from the Wanganui Maori Sports Association and the Aotearoa Sports Federation. Members of the farming community and some local community members from Ohakune, Raetihi and Pipiriki have contributed as well as relatives in Auckland. Tod has received many private donations from friends and community members and the Maori Wardens Association in Taihape ran a cake stall for him raising a substantial amount. Tod's father Bob Barrell, a well known rugby player, expressed gratitude at the generosity of these people. Tod and Thomas are looking forward to their stay in Los Angeles.