Scott Penney: Thames Valley CEO on last year's Heartland Championship win, defending the title

Heartland Championship Rugby kicks off today in Waihi, with a rematch of last year’s Meads Cup Final – Thames Valley clashing with Mid Canterbury. 

Thames Valley CEO Scott Penney joined the show ahead of kick-off to chat with Piney about the impact of winning last year’s competition on the province, and their plans to defend the title.  

“We've done a lot in our community to boost numbers and grow rugby within the valleys, but to have the icing on the cake and bring the Meads Cup home was fantastic for everybody involved." 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalks.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Edb All Blacks play tomorrow morning. The Bunnings MPC continues
this afternoon and tomorrow, but Rugby's Heartland Championship True grassroots
Rugby is underway this afternoon. Games in Greymouth, Gisbone, Levin, Masterton,
Fang and Uei and in Picturesque why He with a
home site defending Meads Cup champions Thames Valley, the Swamp

(00:35):
Foxes take on Mid Canterbury and in a repeat of
last year's Meets Cup final.

Speaker 1 (00:39):
Thames Valley when they've needed to have been this.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
Afternoon superb and there's an example and they win the
penal a two to finish up.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
And that is what it means.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
To the Swamp Foxes here in.

Speaker 3 (00:56):
Towdah and quite appropriately Quinn Colin seventeen fights in the final.
It's us for the second time Thames Valley champions.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
Amazing scenes last year, so as I say, repeat of
last year's final this afternoon to open the Heartland Championship
campaign for these sites, Tams Valley against Mid Canterbury in
why He Teams Valley Rugby CEO Scott Penny is with
us quick check on conditions and why he to start Scott.

Speaker 4 (01:32):
Great conditions here, slightly overcast, but definitely good for running rugby.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
Before we look ahead, what did it mean to the
union and the rugby community to win silverware last season?

Speaker 4 (01:44):
I mean a lot to us. We've done a lot
in our community to boost numbers and grow rugby within
the valley. But tear the icen on the cake and
bring the Meads Cup home was fantastic for everybody involved.
We've come close over the last few years, so to
actually get the cherry on the top was great.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
You obviously have a wide brief in terms of the
community game in your region. The leak part of it
is only part of it, but as you say, is
it like a cherry on top?

Speaker 3 (02:11):
It is?

Speaker 2 (02:11):
It also a I guess an aspirational pathway for some
of the younger players in the region, as.

Speaker 4 (02:17):
We're trying to make a pathway right through and we
still run under fourteen's all the way up to the
Swamp Foxes, including on the girls side as well, so
we do see it as a pathway. It's not by
any means perfect yet, but we're making good strides towards it.
Our growth over the last couple of years has has
allowed us to have some really good results. We've taken
our winter ratio from twenty six to fifty cent and

(02:39):
over our other REP teams, So as say, they're all
trying to strive to what the Swamp Foxes are making.

Speaker 2 (02:43):
At the moment, You're reappointed your coaches David Harrison and
Joe Murray after last year's success, I guess that wasn't
a tough decision to make. Have you retained most of
your players as well?

Speaker 4 (02:55):
No, so the coaches, and I say just a quick
mentioned for Harry who's also the New Zealand Heartland coach
this year and nixt which is great for him. But yeah,
those two guys, they sort of don't get the accolades
that that I think they should get because they do
have achieved a lot over several years. But we haven't
held a lot of players from last year. Really. I

(03:16):
think there's eleven new people into our squad. But I
mean a challenge is like you think everybody's in the
same boat right through the whole whole Heartland. A good
thing for us is this five Swamp fox has played
in the NPC over the last two years. So again,
it's got to be a good time for pathways, isn't it,
you know, And.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
I guess that's a really good way of looking at it.
Do you take pride in the fact that that players,
if they are to leave teams Valley for an NPC side,
for example, that's a feather in your cap rather than
a blow to you.

Speaker 4 (03:44):
Definitely, We're all about giving players opportunities and if an
opportunity comes along at the higher level, then it's got
to be it. I take that approach right through from
our schools as well. If we've got a school kid
that's going to get a better opportunity in one of
the biggest cities, then that's got to be a win
for us, And if we can keep the pipeline going,
then it's got to be good for the valley.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
I guess for the coaches as well. That must be
quite the challenge, Scott, because you know, if you've got
the same bunch of players coming back, you can I guess,
in some regards lock and load what works so well
last season. So so your coaches, I guess have their
own challenge of reintegrating or integrating. Would you say eleven
new faces into the team.

Speaker 4 (04:21):
Absolutely, and I think we showed that. And then we
checked another couple of curveballs. Everybody saw the difference between
professional rugby and amateur rugby with our ninety seven nil
against the Nake and the Shield challenge. Great experience, but
it just shows the gap between the two levels. And
then we played a very strong Harlequin's team and why
kat To have taken their development strong as well. So yeah,

(04:43):
I hated a lot of challenges out but again, like
I said earlier, challenges are good for any squads.

Speaker 2 (04:48):
You're in why Heat today, You've also got home games
in Tattaha, Corimandel and paid or is it always your
intent to share the home games around It is.

Speaker 4 (04:57):
We don't have an actual home and we don't have
a stadium in the valley. So I challenged my staff
and we only run it with four staff to take
our game to the community. As long as we get
the buy in from the clubs, it is great. Like
we're in Wayhi today and we've got multiple volunteers all
helping us make this day come alive. So it is.
We've got Tiatraha and they've had a few games and

(05:18):
obviously the Meads Cup Final was a success for them.
But we're also going up to Coromandel, which is going
to be great. Haven't taken a game up there, but
we're taking the East Coast up there in a few
weeks time, so between that and then coming back to
Pyrol for our last home game this season. So yeah,
it is a challenge for us, but again we like
these sort of things and coming out and getting amongst
it as great for us.

Speaker 2 (05:39):
And how would you describe the overall health of the
grassroots game of rugby in your region.

Speaker 4 (05:46):
We're doing really well. There is a lot of negative
talk and if you only listen to the to the
media and things going on, rugby is in a bad way.

Speaker 5 (05:53):
But if you look at.

Speaker 4 (05:54):
Our stats, we're actually going the other way. We don't
have any statistics where we're going backwards. A couple of
platawed off in the juniors, but everything else is rising
and including a massive increase in our women's rugby, so
we are going well. We're trying to coach our coaches,
which obviously is going to take a lot of pressure
off a lot of the staff and stuff like that
because we have more and more helpers. But now We're

(06:16):
really happy with the growth in the valley.

Speaker 2 (06:18):
I remember you were coaching for a while. Do you
miss it?

Speaker 5 (06:21):
Hey, yeah, I do, as long as my board aren't
listening here. They challenged me to get off the grass
all the time and just stay in the office. I
do really struggle with that, but no, if you can
get the balance. I do really miss it.

Speaker 4 (06:36):
I miss the camaraderie of the boys, and because you're
not this day and age, especially in grassroots, you're not
just a coach. You're even your mentor some to your
dad figure. There's a lot more to it than just
coaching rugby these days.

Speaker 2 (06:47):
Good man Scott, Well, it sounds like Thames Valley are
in very safe hands. Exciting season ahead for you. Thanks
for joining us this afternoon.

Speaker 4 (06:52):
Mate, appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (06:53):
Take care you take care too, Scott Scott Penny, Thames
Valley CEO. They played Mid Canterbury one o'clock, so that
game's underway soon. Farm going to we North Otago, wind
it up a bush, South Canterbury hot off into a
carpany buller poverty by against East Coast and West Coast
against King Country. May Heartland Championship Rugby continue forever. I
never want to stop saying those unions' names when we're

(07:15):
talking rugby.

Speaker 1 (07:16):
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