Time to change the rules

We have established that many HR supporters are reading the blog and we appreciate those who have helped clarify some of the myths surrounding the import players from New Zealand. This has been an eye opening education for all of us including many HR supporters.

Let me say again, that my intent is not to be adversarial. I am interested in bringing the facts to the light of day and providing more opportunities for local HR players to grow and develop. I ask for your support to limit the number of kiwi import players from NZ to two on the field at any one time.

With help from HR comments we have established the following as being facts:

• The annual migration of rugby players from New Zealand to the HR rugby club is well planned and coordinated
• HR families provide room and board for these players
  
• These young men enter the country on visitors visas and not the required, J1 exchange student visas.
• 98% return home immediately at the end of the season
• They were banned from attending the Utah Public School system in 2005
• They were banned from attending Highland High School prior to 2005 (I had nothing to do with this)
  
• Little to no tuition was paid to the Utah High Schools that hosted these players prior to the 2005 closing of the "guest pass loophole."
  

Time to fill in the missing pieces.

The following are assumptions, yet we shall assume them to be facts after two weeks.

This is adequate time for the HR coaching staff to respond. From this time forward, no response shall be considered a confirmation that the assumptions are indeed correct.

For too many years we have all stood on one leg while HR took the 5th. The questions and the medium to respond are open, public and easily accessible. Silence, a religious experience, or "we have know idea how they get here" are now proven to be unacceptable and inaccurate.

Like an iceberg, most of it lies submerged, unseen from the surface. In time integrity will expose that portion to the light of day.

• HR directly or indirectly helps to facilitate the travel arrangements for the import players from NZ.
• HR directly or indirectly pays for some of the travel costs.
• Most of the families in NZ do not have the means to pay the thousands of dollars for travel and tuition.
• More than 50% of the costs to bring these young men to Utah are paid for by people in the USA not NZ.
• No tuition was paid to the Utah private schools who's names appear on the USA Rugby eligibility paperwork in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
• The people in NZ who make all of these arrangements are acting as agents, directly or indirectly for HR.
• The sons of some of the agents in NZ have played for HR.
  
• The HR coaching staff is aware of all of all of these details.
  

Comment from Mark "eRugby News" July 2008

"HR's kiwi players GRADUATED CCNZ November 2007, and arrived in SLC in time to play the HR season, playoffs with NorCal, and Nationals.

They have since departed. USA Rugby cannot continue to endorse the participation of GRADUATE players within its event(s), without losing face. HR's representation that all rostered players are each US HS-enrolled (9th to 12th grade)is clearly false for the 3 kiwi GRADS who played the nationals.
Stop the rort! Enforce the present eligibility rules. Only USA Rugby received and verified certification of eligibility from the teams for the nationals. If found that the 3 HR players named above were ineligible ccnz GRADUATES, USA Rugby must follow its own precedent post-event & move to disqualify HR (as: Hayward 1997)."

Well said Mark!

HR families provide room and board

Comment from (P4) .........................."As one who hosted one of the 'Kiwis', other than welcoming him into our home for a genuine cultural experience for both him and my family, we provided nothing more than room and board. A small price to pay for a great young man from Auckland, (not Church College) to influence for good."

"With regards to your 3 month time frame...this particular young man played for Highland last 2 years and has been here in the states on a student visa since last September. He had a dream of playing high school football (american). Unfortunately, you assisted the school districts in making that dream difficult to achieve, to bad for him. However, I am sure that you will gain some satisfaction. Good for you!!"
..................................................................................................

The UHSAA (Utah High School Athletic Association) defines "nothing more than room and board" as being part of a recruiting process, not a cultural experience.

• Are you also paying the $10,000.00 annual school tuition as part of this cultural exchange?
• Please check his visa
• Most likely is a visitors visa, not a (J1) Exchange Student visa.
  
• An exchange student visa means he is registered and attending a public high school school as part of a certified exchange student program.
  
• You did not mention the other five boys from New Zealand that have since returned home.
  
• We will assume that five other HR families provided room and board as well.
  
• How is all of this planned and coordinated without the knowledge of the HR coaching staff?
• At least we have established the fact that months before each season starts, "someone" is coordinating the partnering of six HR families with six import rugby players from New Zealand.
  

Would you feel as warm and fuzzy if you were doing this for five amazing basketball players from Russia or soccer players from Brazil? Until the UHSAA finds out, shuts the practice down, sends the boys home and suspends the high school from any participation in these sports for a period of time. Thus are the consequences of such a myopic "cultural exchange."

The ends do not justify the means. Also interesting how this so called cultural experience or annual religious Mecca has been limited exclusively to "rugby players only." No tennis, soccer or baseball players. No young women. How discriminating, yet so convenient or lucky for HR.

• Are HR families also subsidizing the plane tickets?
• Why do the kiwi boys deserve to play more than your own son or son's.
  
• Your missing the point!
  
• Cultural and religious experience, give me a break.
  
• This may help to ease your conscience and sleep at night.
  
• Lets keep religion out of this completely.
  
• This is simply about winning rugby games!!
  

Did you ever think about the cultural and religious experience related to:

• local boys sitting on the bench most of the time
• being on the other team that was just beaten by 100 points
• a young man from NZ after an incredible season, is quietly sent home, no MVP, no interviews, no pictures or articles in the Deseret News
• nothing...... just used and sent home
• this kind of "influence for good" they do not need

The Utah tax payers thought it was a fine religious and cultural experience to pay for these boys when they were slipped into the public school system for 15 years as "pretend students". They are happy that they were relieved of this burden in 2005. Yes and that makes me feel very good.

(P4)... by the way, many of your own sons dreamed of playing rugby. You and other HR families have have made this dream very difficult for them to achieve, to bad for them. But you won 18 national championships while many sat on the bench. I'm sure you have much satisfaction about your cultural and religious exchanges each season, good for you!!

HR Faithful - "Balance"

95 +% of the good parents and boys of HR have little to know answers to the questions that I have posed. They deserve better. Their boys deserve more playing time, and whether they like it or not I will continue to be a strong advocate for a change in policy. Rugby should follow the same rules that govern the rest of high school sports in Utah.

• Import soccer players from another country would be sent home
• Import basketball players would be sent home
• Import baseball players would be sent home
• I am not advocating that the kiwi rugby players be sent home!
• Let them stay and play if they are following the rules to be here
• Lets have some balance and error on the side of allowing more opportunities for local players to grow and develop
  

Is it that unreasonable to ask that if there are six young men from New Zealand here to play rugby for HR that four of them should be sitting on the bench at all times. If coming to Utah is more of a religious experience for these young men, as some have suggested, then they can sit on the bench and think about religion, while the local boys grow and learn by playing on the field. Long term the HR program will be much the better.

Nitty Gritty Please

Few comments on the Nitty Gritty.

Thanks to the HR faithful, we have established the fact, that the kiwi boys are sent to play for HR each year and then sent home at the end of the season.

Who Pays?

• Who is the wealthy benefactor that pays for their plane tickets?
  
• None of their families can afford to do this.
  
• Who provides room and board while they are in Utah?
  
• Who pays the tuition at the new private school they are attending?
  
• I understand it is over $15,000.00.
  
• With tuition, plane tickets etc, it is costing each boy $20,000.00 for a 3 month rugby experience in Utah.
  
• Six came over this year @ $20,000.00 each = $120,000.00.

Haka with Respect

Over the years I have tried in various kind ways to help Highland understand the sacred nature of the Haka. Falls on deaf years. Do you ever see the All Blacks stand up in the second half and do the Haka, on the sidelines, while pounding another team by 40-0.

No
Never
No rugby team in New Zealand does this
They know better
Highland
Please stop this practice!
Why?

Because this is a desecration and great disrespect for the Haka to be used in this manner. To use it as a way of getting in peoples faces, taunting, rubbing it in, we are the beeeest.........! It insults this great tradition.

Make up your own Highland jig and jig at it all game long, but leave the Haka alone.

Highland continues to clearly demonstrate their ignorance to matters of Maori history and the sacred and special place that the Haka has in the Maori culture.

"The United Way"

Proof
You can build an awesome team
In a very short period of time
Play Highland in the finals
With no kiwi imports
or any polynesian players
lose and win at the same time

simply the facts

Larry Gilwix to Me .............2004

· For those outside of Utah and outside the Mormon faith it is difficult to understand the draw, appeal, and importance of Utah to Mormons around the world. It is not uncommon for Mormons to immigrate here to be close to their faith. Every six months the LDS Church sponsors a two-day world conference that attracts literally hundreds of thousands of people. Who can explain such a thing? Nor is it uncommon that young men and women while in high school or prior to their two-year missionary service to come to Utah as part of what they perceive a religious experience combined with a lot of fun too. I suppose it may be similar to Muslims going to Mecca or Jews to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Consequently, we experience an unusual number of foreign visitors. Few have a rugby background, most do not. Is it fair that Salt Lake City gets such an influx? Fair, yes. Equal, no. The very thought that people, who by and large are from humble circumstances, would pay thousands of dollars in airfare and school tuition simply to pay rugby in America is laughable.

To clear the air on several issues alleged to have been raised by you, let me answer them directly. 1) Does Larry Gelwix and/or Highland Rugby "recruit" players from overseas to come here and play rugby? No. 2) When was the last time Gelwix was in New Zealand? 1996 when Highland was on a 4-week tour of Australia and New Zealand. Trivia question, since Highland won the national championship in 1997 and Gelwix was in NZ in 1996 did Highland have any non-U.S. citizens (including NZ, or otherwise) players in the championship in 1997? No, not a single one. Our 1995 championship win has been called one of the biggest wins ever? Did we have any NZ players that year? No, not a single one. 3) Does Highland always have non-U.S. citizens on its team? No, but we do welcome them if they are here. Your email suggested how wonderful it would be if we won without foreign students. Come and see me, I keep meticulous notes and statistical data and you will see most of our wins have been without non-U.S. citizen students. But I make no apology or secret that when such students are living here and are eligible, we welcome them.

Does Highland pay for players airfares or expenses to come here? No. Not even a penny? No, not even a penny. 8) Is it true that all non-U.S. citizen students must pay tuition, which I understand is about $7,000 a year, to attend Salt Lake schools? Yes, that is my understanding and I know of no exceptions to that.

If you would like the read the entire communication just email me and I will be happy to send it to you

Pretend "Exchange Students"

The import rugby players from New Zealand are not "exchange students" as the USA Rugby rules require.

They enter the country on...

• a 3 month visitors visa's
  
• not on 12 month exchange student visa's.
  

This is why they don't stay to finish school, graduate etc etc. They must leave the country as soon as the rugby season is finished.

MOST PAID LITTLE TO NO TUITION

You and I and all of the the tax payers in Utah were paying their tuition

Another reason they were kicked out of the public school system in Utah

Kiwi import players removed from Olympus High School - 2005 No longer permitted to attend Utah public schools as pretend students

Highland High School stopped allowing the kiwi boys to attend their school in 1999. They did not want to be a part of this scheme.

In 2006 they were denied attending a private school called the Kimber Acadamy in Murray. Since then they have used different "private schools" to meet the USA Rugby paperwork requirement.

This year it was USC at Woodland Hills in the south end of the valley. This school was also denied entrance into the UHSAA, Utah High School Athletic Association.

All of the 2008 kiwi contingent have returned home. A new crew has already been selected in New Zealand for 2009. They will magically drop out of the sky, just prior to next season, on to the doorstep of a totally surprised, just kidding, Highland coaching staff.

The following conversation will ensue:

• How did you guys get here and where did you come from??
• did you say NEW ZEALAND....NO WAY..............!!!!
• all five of you from the same country ended up here in Utah by chance.
  
• do any of you guys play RUGBY???
• all of you......NO WAAAY.................!!!!
  
• are you serious!!
• what are the odds, five guys from NZ, end up in Utah and you ALL play rugby...!!
  
• what a coincidence!!
• how long are you here for....?
• NO WAAAAAY..............that's exactly how long the rugby season lasts!
  
• what school will you be attending????
• School ?????....USC at Woodland Hills
  
• stop stop... this is too much... We know the guys at this school too!!
• give me some oxygen!!
  
• we have a rugby team....do you want to play????
• you do!!
  
• NO WAAAAAY !!!!
  

During this conversation the bewildered kiwi boys are scratching their heads and thinking, "are these guys nuts, this is why we were sent here, to play rugby for Highland. We don't know anything about having to go to a school and do school work. This is our summer vacation. If we have to go to school we are going home!!

"Thank you tax payers of Utah for unknowingly supporting this rugby exchange between New Zealand and Highland, through 2005. We will now have to look at the private sector and how they can help us"................HR

How Ironic

Some Highland supporters are upset about me advocating for:

1. less time on the bench and more playing time for themselves or their sons on the rugby field
   
2. and a restriction on the number of import kiwi boys to one or two on the field at any one time
3. Why?
   

To Highland parents and players

Would you support limiting the number of kiwi import players, to only two on the field at any one time?

This gives local players more time on the field to grow and develop their talents.

World Hunger

To calm the concerns of some Highland supporters who have asked why I am not solving global problems such as world hunger instead of spending all of my time on this blog.

I spend very little time on this blog.

Recently returned from a six week business trip in the Middle East. Watched the game between Highland and United from my hotel room in Dubai at 3 am in the morning. They have some amazing rugby facilities in Dubai.

Door of Faith Orphanage
http://www.dofo.org/

My family and I spent a week working at this amazing orphanage in Baja, Mexico. A life changing experience for our family.

I am also the keeper of the goal posts for the St George Knights High School Rugby Club. We invented some new breakdown goal posts made of 3" PVC pipes, drainage fittings and fernco couplings. Will post some pictures soon.

Don't worry, I'm fine and trying to stay well rounded.

Confirmed and Clarification

Thank you Highland supporter for the clarification

Fo and Junior who played for Highland last season, joined the Highland squad in New Zealand for only one game. Pushing the kiwi contingent to 8 players on the USA national championship team for that particular game.

The rest of the games there were only 3 to 6 local boys from Utah sitting on the bench.

CCNZ beats Highland

Inside scoop from cuzzy bro in New Zealand. Tough game for Highland, the USA National Champs against The Church College of New Zealand. A small private school with a long and proud 50 year rugby tradition.

Two losses in Tonga as well.

Also a few grumblings from Highland parents who paid $1,000.00 - $1,500.00 for their sons to go to New Zealand. We hear they are not to happy about their boys sitting on the bench. I don't blame them. I would be ticked as well.

Also in a very creative and also unannounced twist, to Highland parents, two of last years kiwi imports, Fo and Junior, were brought onto the Highland squad in New Zealand as starters. We are sure they didn't have to pay the $1,000.00.

With the 6 that came to the USA this year that would make 8 kiwi boys playing on the Highland team.

Anything for the big W (win) and the big E (ego) that spells WE.

And we are sorry for those who once again made the ultimate sacrifice of traveling all the way to New Zealand to end up sitting on the bench. So sad. These hard working boys should be playing and the kiwi boys should be limited to one or two on the field at any one time.

If we can't stop this practice maybe with the help and support of Highland parents we can regulate this from getting out of control.

4,5,6,7,8,9,10 import players from New Zealand each year.... when does it end.........................

I am now an unofficial advocate for the rights of the Highland local boys to play, and for the ever increasing numbers of kiwi boys to sit on the bench. And yes I am from New Zealand.

Please help me spread the word to all Highland parents. Would like some feedback on these ideas.

Props to the Highland boys...

Let me make it very clear so there is no confusion.................

The boys in the Highland program do work their guts out training and a very dedicated.

This part of the Highland program is awesome and I give it due credit.

I salute and props to the boys... 100%

I am only taking issue with the regular planned and pre meditated yearly practice of having Kelly Harris in New Zealand send boys to Utah to play for Highland. They have already selected the boys who are coming next year....inside cuzzy source in NZ.

The kiwi boys take the spots of the hard working local Highland boys who should not be sitting on the sidelines.

Ask the parents at Highland if it means more to win a game or have all of the local boys play all of the time and lose once and a while.

I would rather have my sons experience playing even in a losing cause. This way they learn, builds their character and makes them work harder to be better.

Can not do this when you are sitting on the sideline most of the time.