About-face on seniors rehash
1st September 2010 09:57AM
By EVAN PEGDEN - Waikato Times
The Waikato Rugby Union council of clubs met last night and the results of a postal vote were revealed on the third ballot to go with the three divisions of 10 teams, each playing a full home-and-away series of 18 games plus championship semifinals and finals.
That competition replaces the existing one of a 12-team premier division, 10-team first division and 17-team second division for the preliminary round, which was followed by a split of the top two divisions into eight, eight and six for the main round and a split of the second division into second and third divisions.
"Three weeks ago the council met and they threw out the 10-10-10 competition and put it back for discussion in the clubs," council chairman Allen Grainger said today.
"The clubs put in submissions with four different options being put forward and, although I'm not sure it was what clubs wanted, that was what was voted on."
Grainger said last night's scrutineers reported it had gone to the third ballot, each time the least popular option dropping out and the backers of that option having their next preference entered into next vote.
The season would still be 20 weeks including the finals, but would be extended by promotion-relegation playoffs at the end.
How that will work is yet to be decided by the club competitions committee, as are the competition dates and how trophies will now be decided as there are now more trophies than competitions.
The top two divisions will still require clubs to field both A and B sides, but the third group, which Ohaupo and Matangi-Hillcrest will drop to, will not.
