August 11, 2026 • 10 mins
Southland Hinds coach Hayden Byars looks at the upcoming season, and talks about the ups and the downs that come down with it.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
Glenn Campbell providing the tunes on a Wednesday afternoon Wichita
Lineman that one there of course, Wednesday night Country happening
at seven o'clock here on Hokanui thanks to Regional ford
Is them joined in the studio by Hayden Buyer's name
known to a lot of people down here in the
South but of course his second year as coach of
the Southland Hines.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Good afternoon, Pecker. How are you.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
I'm very good, Thank you, Thank you Andy, thanks for
having me on.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
I spoke to you last year about the Southland Hines
and the trials and tribulations of rugby in South and
we all know what's going on with the Stags and
trying to get players and the likes. But look the
woman's game straight off the CAF, it looks to be
in a pretty good place.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Yeah, it isn't a good place. I mean probably this
year with the club Rugby we had one team less
than what we did did last year, but that sort
of galvanized everybody a little bit more and probably made
it a tough competition because when we got to that
final this year, it was a really good game of
footage to watch and quite proud. It just went to
(01:08):
another level, which is probably helped the hinds Awee bit
with the start of our campaign this year as well.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
You like the emergence of Pioneer making it to the
final start taking out the price, but just to get there.
And one good thing about Star as well, I think
they're putting in women's facilities. A lot of Pioneer's already
done that, and you're seeing a lot of recognition by
the clubs regarding the women's game.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Absolutely, the ones that do have the women's team so
certainly are making the facilities a bit more usually friendly
for those women playing, And yeah, it does make life
a lot easier, and we try to use those facilities
as well because the girls know they're there and like
to use that. You know they're there to be used,
so it's good.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Were numbers an issue at all.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
I think it was only about that first round that
we sort of had a buy a mismatch. I wouldn't
say mismatch a default, but we got through pretty much
the rest of the season. We had a rule this
year that if the team didn't have enough players, it
was game on anyway, and they just had to match numbers.
So I think one time wakatap who had to come
(02:12):
down to Pioneer with maybe only thirteen I think it was, Yeah,
and the game still got to be played. So yeah,
that's just you've got to take your hats off to
those wackatop girls that do a lot of traveling sometimes.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Yeah, so the hinds as such, you're into prese, past preseason,
I suppose not far off kickoff if you haven't done
it already.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Yeah, we've had one game already against Canterbury Mary Wahine.
It was a good game up there at just at
Omoru south of Omor Mahino, and yeah, we had a
good good win at thirty nine points to nil, which
was kind of quite good because if we look back
(02:55):
on the team that we had last year, there was
only five players that had come through from last year
that we're still playing this year. So a new bunch
of girls in a different sort of ending really for
the same team that we paid last year.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
So are you pretty realistic about player turnover?
Speaker 3 (03:14):
I think it's just something that happens in the women's game.
You know, they've got bigger responsibilities and probably what the
males do on the other side were males go to
work and turn up and sort of thing where you
get a dear said a woman that falls pregnant, well
planned pregnancy, and you know they've got they've got a
(03:34):
lot more time out of the game than what a
male would, if you know what I mean, in the
same same scenarios. And there's a few girls that've gone
overseas and we've lost a few girls to university from
last year's team. So that's just I think that's just
what Southern rugby is going to have to put up
with for quite a while really.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
So the ones who want to play for Southland and
such for the Hinds, they've just got to be prepared
to put in the effort, just realizing it is what
it is.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Yeah, Yeah, that's pretty much. It's just we we set
our goals and we've got our objectives that we want
to achieve type thing, and we run it past them,
and I think we're realistic of where we want to
go and what we want to be as a team
down here type thing. We want to be competitive. That's
probably the first thing. To get a result like we
(04:26):
did in the weekend was probably a bit surprising, but
it just goes to show that maybe also us as coaches,
myself and my other two we've got we understand it
a bit more better than what we did last year
and are targeting things awey bit you know differently. So
hopefully I just see the camaraderie and the team and
(04:48):
the feeling and the teams a lot further ahead. It's
where we finished last year and we just started this year,
so it always helps.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
And I dare say you've got a good affiliation with
Rugby Southam as well off the side.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Yeah, definitely, there's a lot of support with Rugby south
On behind the women's game. You know, it's part of
what's out there. You see it on Facebook. It just
gets as much part with the club. Rugby gets as
much as what the Premierre rugby type carry on does.
That final that we had, you know, pioneering Star in
(05:20):
the final, there was just the same amount of crowd
as what was there for the Barberian's Old Boys game
and to be fair there are two bloody good finals
to watch. It was a pleasure to be there.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
So what do you do as far as practice? How
many practices a week? Because I like the old club
routine Tuesday and Thursday or how do.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
You work it.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Yeah, it's like the old club routine. Last year we
shifted their trainings around, like we'd have a weekend Gore,
a weekend of cargo in a weekend probably Winton. But
this year we're just staying at Winton. The girls on
their feedback last year just wanted to have one base,
so we're just sticking with that. We're going to Winton
because it just saves a bit more travel for those
(06:01):
Queenstown girls coming down because I travel in the furthest.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
So, and we turn up, we train for an hour
and a half, an hour and a quarter sort of thing,
and on Thursday nights we will get together and we
have a meal afterwards. We have team challenges that part
of the team's putting a meal on, so it's we
call it dinner wars and there's a bit of strategic
voting going on at the moment, so it's a lot
of fun.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
You'll bring a bit of venison on the space.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Yeah, I've got a wee bit of venison there. But
apparently it's my turn to cut this week and they've
given me potatoes, So sorry, girls, you just on potatoes
tatla chips. Oh no, it's going to be baked potatoes,
I'm afraid. So there we go.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
So I'm looking at your agenda for the next couple
of for the few games you've got coming up, and
you will say a few games, Well, there are a
few on the horizon. This weekend you've got Tasman and
a Tiger development in Dunedin, okay, use a target development
as an example. What's the difference between Southland and Otago
and women rugby?
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Is it resources?
Speaker 1 (07:03):
No?
Speaker 3 (07:03):
I think probably to be fair, their club competitions slightly
a wee bit better. You'll probably find that their average
age with university students bring it down a wee but
I don't want to be just slightly a wee bit faster.
They've got the Spirit their type thing. I noticed. I've
seen the two teams come out, and a Target Development
(07:25):
squad is not a very big squad. So i'd imagine
we go to play them, we're going to have a
few of the Spirit girls been dropped down to play against.
I think they're backs. They've only named eight backs. That's
you know, there's seven on a paddock and there's got
to be a couple of three reserves there. Some way
say so it's economy of scale. Yeah, economy a scale
(07:47):
type thing. Yeah, I don't think we you know, you'd
look at Southern rugby, we couldn't name two teams two
quality teams like they've they've done that there. But in
saying that, if you look at the two teams, there's
a few few Southern girls and they y ex Southern
girls that are all in those teams too. So that's
good to see. But it's one of those things that
(08:09):
if we went to the next level, maybe we would
have some of them would filter back into Southern rugby.
And you know we're the NPC's on the cards that
that might that might be something that would booster the
Southern squad.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
If you understand what I'm saying, how are you enjoying
the role?
Speaker 3 (08:24):
I I enjoy it. The girls make that enjoyment. Yeah,
it's it is different to the boys type. Carry on.
There's not a lot of egos out there in the
women's rugby longs. You know, you've got to care about
(08:45):
them and if they know that you care about them,
they'll just about do anything for you. So no, I
love love the role to bit absolutely because the feedback
you get from them, so and the wee bit of
band is kind of you know, just nice.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Yeah, camaradery will be a big thing.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Yeah, absolutely absolutely, and that pretty quick. When I do
something wrong or say something wrong, put me in my place.
But you've just got to take that with a grain
of salt type carry on because I'm not the biggest
upfront speaker at times and stuff like that. So yeah,
we get there.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Actually speak out of them. Whereas hey, Hayden, thanks for
coming in this afternoon. You get to listen to this.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
You're lucky bugger, laugh out loud with ag proud because
life on the land can be a laughing matter. Brought
to us by sheer Well Data Working to help the
livestock farmer.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Firstly, if you've got a dam.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
Joke you want to do, no, I don't have a
Oh no, I don't have a You should have prepped
me a bit for for that. It would have come
up with something and my kids will be horrified. No,
I'll leave you to you.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
What do you call an army of cows miladairy military?
Speaker 1 (09:50):
And hey, you going on your Hayden, thanks for coming
in and all the best for the season.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
The work always to always appreciate your time.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Thank you very much, Hayen buyers, the wrapper Gap, the
Master reminding Muir of course. The podcast is up shortly
annoy Hat Radio. The show is brought to you by
Pedi Genetics. Enjoy the afternoon, say tomorrow,
Glenn Campbell providing the tunes on a Wednesday afternoon Wichita
Lineman that one there of course, Wednesday night Country happening
at seven o'clock here on Hokanui thanks to Regional ford
Is them joined in the studio by Hayden Buyer's name
known to a lot of people down here in the
South but of course his second year as coach of
the Southland Hines.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Good afternoon, Pecker. How are you.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
I'm very good, Thank you, Thank you Andy, thanks for
having me on.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
I spoke to you last year about the Southland Hines
and the trials and tribulations of rugby in South and
we all know what's going on with the Stags and
trying to get players and the likes. But look the
woman's game straight off the CAF, it looks to be
in a pretty good place.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Yeah, it isn't a good place. I mean probably this
year with the club Rugby we had one team less
than what we did did last year, but that sort
of galvanized everybody a little bit more and probably made
it a tough competition because when we got to that
final this year, it was a really good game of
footage to watch and quite proud. It just went to
(01:08):
another level, which is probably helped the hinds Awee bit
with the start of our campaign this year as well.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
You like the emergence of Pioneer making it to the
final start taking out the price, but just to get there.
And one good thing about Star as well, I think
they're putting in women's facilities. A lot of Pioneer's already
done that, and you're seeing a lot of recognition by
the clubs regarding the women's game.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Absolutely, the ones that do have the women's team so
certainly are making the facilities a bit more usually friendly
for those women playing, And yeah, it does make life
a lot easier, and we try to use those facilities
as well because the girls know they're there and like
to use that. You know they're there to be used,
so it's good.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Were numbers an issue at all.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
I think it was only about that first round that
we sort of had a buy a mismatch. I wouldn't
say mismatch a default, but we got through pretty much
the rest of the season. We had a rule this
year that if the team didn't have enough players, it
was game on anyway, and they just had to match numbers.
So I think one time wakatap who had to come
(02:12):
down to Pioneer with maybe only thirteen I think it was, Yeah,
and the game still got to be played. So yeah,
that's just you've got to take your hats off to
those wackatop girls that do a lot of traveling sometimes.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Yeah, so the hinds as such, you're into prese, past preseason,
I suppose not far off kickoff if you haven't done
it already.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Yeah, we've had one game already against Canterbury Mary Wahine.
It was a good game up there at just at
Omoru south of Omor Mahino, and yeah, we had a
good good win at thirty nine points to nil, which
was kind of quite good because if we look back
(02:55):
on the team that we had last year, there was
only five players that had come through from last year
that we're still playing this year. So a new bunch
of girls in a different sort of ending really for
the same team that we paid last year.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
So are you pretty realistic about player turnover?
Speaker 3 (03:14):
I think it's just something that happens in the women's game.
You know, they've got bigger responsibilities and probably what the
males do on the other side were males go to
work and turn up and sort of thing where you
get a dear said a woman that falls pregnant, well
planned pregnancy, and you know they've got they've got a
(03:34):
lot more time out of the game than what a
male would, if you know what I mean, in the
same same scenarios. And there's a few girls that've gone
overseas and we've lost a few girls to university from
last year's team. So that's just I think that's just
what Southern rugby is going to have to put up
with for quite a while really.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
So the ones who want to play for Southland and
such for the Hinds, they've just got to be prepared
to put in the effort, just realizing it is what
it is.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Yeah, Yeah, that's pretty much. It's just we we set
our goals and we've got our objectives that we want
to achieve type thing, and we run it past them,
and I think we're realistic of where we want to
go and what we want to be as a team
down here type thing. We want to be competitive. That's
probably the first thing. To get a result like we
(04:26):
did in the weekend was probably a bit surprising, but
it just goes to show that maybe also us as coaches,
myself and my other two we've got we understand it
a bit more better than what we did last year
and are targeting things awey bit you know differently. So
hopefully I just see the camaraderie and the team and
(04:48):
the feeling and the teams a lot further ahead. It's
where we finished last year and we just started this year,
so it always helps.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
And I dare say you've got a good affiliation with
Rugby Southam as well off the side.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Yeah, definitely, there's a lot of support with Rugby south
On behind the women's game. You know, it's part of
what's out there. You see it on Facebook. It just
gets as much part with the club. Rugby gets as
much as what the Premierre rugby type carry on does.
That final that we had, you know, pioneering Star in
(05:20):
the final, there was just the same amount of crowd
as what was there for the Barberian's Old Boys game
and to be fair there are two bloody good finals
to watch. It was a pleasure to be there.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
So what do you do as far as practice? How
many practices a week? Because I like the old club
routine Tuesday and Thursday or how do.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
You work it.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Yeah, it's like the old club routine. Last year we
shifted their trainings around, like we'd have a weekend Gore,
a weekend of cargo in a weekend probably Winton. But
this year we're just staying at Winton. The girls on
their feedback last year just wanted to have one base,
so we're just sticking with that. We're going to Winton
because it just saves a bit more travel for those
(06:01):
Queenstown girls coming down because I travel in the furthest.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
So, and we turn up, we train for an hour
and a half, an hour and a quarter sort of thing,
and on Thursday nights we will get together and we
have a meal afterwards. We have team challenges that part
of the team's putting a meal on, so it's we
call it dinner wars and there's a bit of strategic
voting going on at the moment, so it's a lot
of fun.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
You'll bring a bit of venison on the space.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Yeah, I've got a wee bit of venison there. But
apparently it's my turn to cut this week and they've
given me potatoes, So sorry, girls, you just on potatoes
tatla chips. Oh no, it's going to be baked potatoes,
I'm afraid. So there we go.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
So I'm looking at your agenda for the next couple
of for the few games you've got coming up, and
you will say a few games, Well, there are a
few on the horizon. This weekend you've got Tasman and
a Tiger development in Dunedin, okay, use a target development
as an example. What's the difference between Southland and Otago
and women rugby?
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Is it resources?
Speaker 1 (07:03):
No?
Speaker 3 (07:03):
I think probably to be fair, their club competitions slightly
a wee bit better. You'll probably find that their average
age with university students bring it down a wee but
I don't want to be just slightly a wee bit faster.
They've got the Spirit their type thing. I noticed. I've
seen the two teams come out, and a Target Development
(07:25):
squad is not a very big squad. So i'd imagine
we go to play them, we're going to have a
few of the Spirit girls been dropped down to play against.
I think they're backs. They've only named eight backs. That's
you know, there's seven on a paddock and there's got
to be a couple of three reserves there. Some way
say so it's economy of scale. Yeah, economy a scale
(07:47):
type thing. Yeah, I don't think we you know, you'd
look at Southern rugby, we couldn't name two teams two
quality teams like they've they've done that there. But in
saying that, if you look at the two teams, there's
a few few Southern girls and they y ex Southern
girls that are all in those teams too. So that's
good to see. But it's one of those things that
(08:09):
if we went to the next level, maybe we would
have some of them would filter back into Southern rugby.
And you know we're the NPC's on the cards that
that might that might be something that would booster the
Southern squad.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
If you understand what I'm saying, how are you enjoying
the role?
Speaker 3 (08:24):
I I enjoy it. The girls make that enjoyment. Yeah,
it's it is different to the boys type. Carry on.
There's not a lot of egos out there in the
women's rugby longs. You know, you've got to care about
(08:45):
them and if they know that you care about them,
they'll just about do anything for you. So no, I
love love the role to bit absolutely because the feedback
you get from them, so and the wee bit of
band is kind of you know, just nice.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Yeah, camaradery will be a big thing.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Yeah, absolutely absolutely, and that pretty quick. When I do
something wrong or say something wrong, put me in my place.
But you've just got to take that with a grain
of salt type carry on because I'm not the biggest
upfront speaker at times and stuff like that. So yeah,
we get there.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Actually speak out of them. Whereas hey, Hayden, thanks for
coming in this afternoon. You get to listen to this.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
You're lucky bugger, laugh out loud with ag proud because
life on the land can be a laughing matter. Brought
to us by sheer Well Data Working to help the
livestock farmer.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Firstly, if you've got a dam.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
Joke you want to do, no, I don't have a
Oh no, I don't have a You should have prepped
me a bit for for that. It would have come
up with something and my kids will be horrified. No,
I'll leave you to you.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
What do you call an army of cows miladairy military?
Speaker 1 (09:50):
And hey, you going on your Hayden, thanks for coming
in and all the best for the season.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
The work always to always appreciate your time.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Thank you very much, Hayen buyers, the wrapper Gap, the
Master reminding Muir of course. The podcast is up shortly
annoy Hat Radio. The show is brought to you by
Pedi Genetics. Enjoy the afternoon, say tomorrow,
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