A familiar name will be missing when the Wairarapa-Bush premier club rugby season kicks off in April.
After being one of the dominant clubs over the past 25 years, Gladstone have pulled the pin on their premier side, citing a lack of playing numbers.
The “gold and blacks” battled through the 2023 season, often struggling to put a full team on the paddock. Their poor season resulted in a special meeting last September to discuss ideas on how to revive the club’s sagging fortunes, but, in the end, that provided little hope.
With low numbers turning up for training, several players began moving to other clubs, leaving Gladstone to make the difficult decision to withdraw the premier team and avoid the issues that dogged them last season.
Championship victories in 2001, 2007, 2011, 2017, and 2018 and the ability to peak at the business end of the season marked Gladstone as one of the most feared opponents in club rugby.
President Steve Thompson said the work starts now to return the club to the top level.
