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Fog, dead bus and hitch-hike taken in stride
Monday, October 01, 2012 • John Hill
If Ngati Porou East Coast go on to win the Meads Cup this season, they will look back on the weekend when the players had to bus to Paeroa and hitchhike home.

The Coast coaches, players and management arrived at Gisborne airport on Friday afternoon expecting to fly to their must-win Heartland Championship clash with Thames Valley.

“When we got to the airport, we were told no flights were allowed in or out due to fog,” said Coast player-coach Ngarimu Simpkins.

“To their credit, the boys stayed positive as we started looking around for alternative transport. Eventually we got a bus organised.

“We decided to stay overnight at Tauranga, then travel to Paeroa the morning of the game.

“To their credit, the boys stayed positive all the way over. There was no grumbling. They knew it was out of our control and that we had a job to do . . . win.

The Coast achieved their goal with a 53-38 victory but the drama was not over.

“Halfway through the gorge coming home, the bus broke down. Rather than wait for another bus to come from Gisborne, the boys started hitch-hiking home.

“It was no big deal. They were laughing and joking waiting for cars coming through.

“Eventually, we all got picked up at some stage along the way. If anything, the whole weekend was great for team spirit.”

The Coast were not the only Heartland Championship team affected by the weather.

South Canterbury were unable to land at Gisborne on Friday afternoon and had to fly to Auckland before travelling overland to get here in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Like the Coast, the extra travel did not affect the South Islanders. They beat Poverty Bay 52-33.
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