Jaradites Rugby Sports Club

24.09.1997: Students Future Lies with League
By: PERRY Joanne

Six years ago Raj an Nair was playing soccer for Fiji under-15s.

This Sunday he'll make his debut for a New Zealand side — but in rugby league, not soccer. The 17-year-old Fairfield College student has been selected in the New Zealand secondary schools rugby league team to play Auckland schools in Rotorua on Sunday.

In only his second year playing rugby league since coming to New Zealand in 1992, Nair knows Sunday is his big break.

"I'm pretty nervous about it," he said. "I know I've got to start somewhere. I just hope I can turn some heads."

The speedy wing plays league for his school, Jaradites premier and for Waikato under-18.

He has had a successful season with Waikato under-18 finishing fourth at nationals, Jaradites fourth in the Waikato premier competition, and his school finishing runners-up in the Waikato schools contest.

He also plays rugby for the school first XV and is a competitive sprinter. Soccer is now on the back foot with the seventh-former just playing in the Sunday soccer league.

Despite his soccer background, his recent selection has confirmed that rugby league is where his f uture lies.

Jaradites coach Trevor dark, a former British club player, said Nair would be the fastest player in the Waikato.

"If you give him an inch of space he's gone and he'll beat a man one-on-one," he said.

dark said Nair had the potential to make future Kiwi age-group teams but he had to work on his handling.

Nair hopes a good performance on Sunday will help him make the Kiwi under-19 side next year. Then the aim is to join a professional club. His preference is the Brisbane Broncos.

CAPTION:

UP AND AWAY: Rajan Nair has gained his first break in mgby league. PICTURE: Shane Morton.

10.07.1997: Jaradites May Make Switch to Union
By: KAYES Jim

The Jaradites rugby league club may switch codes and play rugby union next year.

The radical idea is just one of a number of options the Hamilton club is considering after what they believe has been shoddy treatment by Waikato Rugby League.

Jaradites are traditionally a Mormon club and its premier side has been kicked out of the play-offs because its under-16 and under-18 teams have refused to play on Sundays, technically defaulting those games.

League rules stipulate clubs must have certain age group teams for their premier side to qualify for the finals.

Jaradites has not approached the Waikato Rugby Union about switching codes, but club captain Charles Sunnex said "steps were being taken".

"At the moment nothing is set in concrete but steps are being taken. But we love rugby league, our club loves rugby league. We are waiting for the New Zealand Rugby League to come and rescue us."

Jaradites have tabled a 15 page protest with the NZRL and the Waikato Rugby League has been asked to respond. The matter will be discussed by the national board next Friday.

Sunnex said there was more to the issue than just the premier sides disqualification. He said religious bias and politics were also involved.

But he said the club was sick of being treated unfairly and being targeted by other clubs who deliberately refused to play Jaradites age group teams on any day other than Sunday.

Sunnex was reluctant to discuss any possible switch to rugby union, but did confirm it was an option the club was considering.

Sunnex said he was confident most of the club's players would switch with it to rugby union, but said any decision would have to be made at a full AGM. He said one things that would never happen again, was for the Waikato Rugby League to push Jaradites around. "We will never again allow the Waikato Rugby League to put us in a position where just before the play-offs they can tell us you are not wanted."

08.07.1997: Jaradites Protest

Jaradites Rugby League Club have filed a protest with the New Zealand Rugby Football League against their disqualification from the Waikato premier club championship play-offs, which started on Saturday. Club spokesman Charles Sunnex confirmed he had made a 15-page submission to the NZRFL and also given a copy to Waikato Rugby League president Jack Lawrence. Sunnex declined to make public the substance of the appeal, but it is believed to involve alleged defaults by Jaradites ' lower grade teams. Jaradites premiers qualified fourth on the points table before being disqualified and the team that replaced them, Hukanui, were knocked out in extra time on Saturday by Huntly South.

04.07.1997: Jaradites Out

Jaradites have been disqualified from Waikato rugby league play-offs, starting tomorrow. That means both Huntly South and Hukanui, who were battling for the final qualifying spot last Saturday have both now qualified. They meet each other in the sudden-death match at Resthills Park No 2. Waikato Rugby League secretary Carol Lawrence would not give the reason for Jaradites ' exclusion yesterday and club spokesman Charles Sunnex was also unable to help, but it is believed to revolve around alleged repeated defaults by the club's age grade teams. Top qualifier Turangawaewae have earned the bye for tomorrow, so the main match is between the second and third-placed teams - Taniwharau and Hamilton City Tigers. The winner plays Turangawaewae next weekend for a place in the ground final, while the loser keeps one life and plays off against the survivor of the Hukanui-South clash.

Draw for tomorrow: Hamilton City Tigers v Taniwharau, Resthills Pk 1, 2.30pm; Hukanui v Huntly South, Resthills Pk 2, 2.30pm.

31.03.1997: League Pair Stay Unbeaten

Turangawaewae and Hamilton City Tigers retained their unbeaten records in Waikato club rugby league at the weekend.

Turangawaewae downed Hillcrest by a mammoth 116-4, while the Tigers crushed Waipa 94-0.

Jaradites handed Taniwharau their third loss of the season, winning 26-16 on the Davies Park No 1 field.

In a game which was relatively close in the first half, if not the second, Jaradites' Jack Berryman stood out with a try in each half.

Last week's stand-out player for Taniwharau, Willie Rangi, had a mediocre day with the boot, landing only 50 per cent of his kicks.

Taniwharau had an 8-4 lead at half time but lost momentum after the re-start as Jaradites found theirs to score five tries in 25 minutes.

But while Taniwharau were down to 11 men for the last 10 minutes they kept the opposition scoreless and right on time crossed for a consolation try.

On Davies Park No 3, Huntly South suffered only their second defeat of the season, 24-20 to third-placed Hukanui. South led 16-4 at the break.

At Rugby League Park in Ngaruawahia, Ngaruawahia beat Frankton Albions 36-22, giving the opposition their fifth loss of the season