A bloke at work is coaching Colts at West Harbour Pirates. They've been Pasifika heavy (like WSTB) in the last couple of decades, and one of the bottom-ranked teams because they can't compete with the East. Their Colts approach has changed with the arrival of a Kiwi bloke this year.
Side note: I had a call with this Kiwi chap to discuss Colts strategies, and he said he doesn't really understand why the Premier comp is 4 Grades + 3 Colts, when back home it is basically As, Bs, 21s and 19s.
Anyway they're bringing in some kids from Country Unions to try and bolster their numbers at West Harbour, and the guy at work said it is making a few of the "established" kids work a fuckload harder.
See these Country kids are coming in from family businesses (farms, industry, etc) to give rugby a crack, and they know they have to give it everything if they want an opportunity at the big time, and simultaneously leaving their family a man short. They didn't have this option before, so they're busting arse.
All the city kids are realising that "just turn up" isn't going to cut it any more if they want to play Grade. Pirates have gone from barely having enough for 3 Colts sides, to training numbers consistently north of 70.
