“If your sink's broken, and your plumbing's broken, why would you get an electrician to fix it?”

Stuart Taylor, Massey Rugby Football Club’s President, has a good head on his shoulders. When it comes to managing the club, it is all about having the right people doing the job, and that’s the key to the team’s success, according to him.

Stuart has served an eleven-years term as the club’s President and came back to the position last year. He contributed to the great success of the team, alongside his “go-to man”, Mark Joynt, who has been the club captain for years. They both played a very important role in changing the dynamics in Massey, alongside with many other people in the background, and always managing to involve everybody.

Stuart Taylor (on the left) believes the key element for the team success is to be open-minded and give everybody a chance

A success built around differences

Stuart and Mark have had different stories with Massey RFC, but they share the same passion for the team. The two friends agree on the fact that committing almost full time to the club has been life-changing and helped them grow as people: “You actually become more open around how you deal with people, learn, and understand how people work”, says Mark. Especially at the positions they hold, Stuart thinks “you can’t go in with tunnel vision because you're dealing with so many people with so many different attributes and personalities”. A good part of the improvement for both came by widening the spectrum and giving everybody a chance.

If Massey has been one of the most successful team in the Union, winning 6 Premier Championships since 1985, it is in large part due to the breakaway from the Auckland competition. Thanks to this adjustment, they've been able to attract players because “they see there's a pathway: if you come across the bridge and play in North Harbour, you've got a chance of being an All Black. I think we've proven that”. For Stuart and Mark, this is the key to value the success of the team.

The focus within the management of the club is to deal with the players to “bring them along the journey with you instead of you leading and letting them know what the journey is”, according to Mark Joynt. Massey is “a very multicultural club”, and the fact that people like Stuart and Mark understand the needs of all of their people is what makes a great club.

For Mark and Stuart, the focus is on providing a pathway for the players from their youngest age

A preserved mentality over time

The two friends are the perfect illustration of the mindset that has been reigning in the club during its history, and they both agree on Moire Park as the most special place around Massey RFC. They also agree on the importance of getting the right people to get the job done, which is why Stuart Taylor often steps back to allow other people to take the important parts. Mark cares a lot about the association he has with the players and is very grateful to his President who is “always there to offer assistance, help, and guidance”. When asked what are the dynamics Stuart brought to the table, Mark answers: “even though we were successful before, I think we had greater success in retaining players, keeping a family atmosphere, and making it work for everybody”.

Mark Joynt (on the left) cares a lot about his players and the family atmosphere at Massey

But managing the club it is more than just a job for these two passionate men. Even if public speaking has always been difficult for Mark, he overcame it and took care of some after-match speeches. Later on, he took his commitment to another level, showing to the whole club his dance skills on championship celebration nights.  

Stuart, on his side, would never decline an opportunity to help off the field, of course, but also on the field when needed as a loose forward. One time, when he played for president’s grade football, his son jumped in to play number 8 for an opponent that was short on numbers. The rest is history. “I always used to think I was a good runner with the ball, I could drop a shoulder and run over everybody. So, I picked the ball up off the back of the scrum and who's standing in front of me? My son. I thought I was going to run him over. Well, he sat me on my ass.”

The focus on leaving nothing to chance for the future

If their involvement has been a key to manage the club, Mark and Stuart don’t have the words to thank all the positive passionate people around them. From the club’s loyal sponsors to every single Massey fan, everybody is included in the organization. That’s the reason why they are trying to attract as many volunteers as possible to take on the managing tasks within the team. Among the future projects of the club, Mark and Stuart are aiming to create a legacy fund: “we want to have this pool of money so that people coming through and taking our positions don’t get in the financial constraints that we sometimes found ourselves in”.

Massey’s life members are fully committed to the present and future success of the club

In Massey, everyone is very proud of those players who have gone on to be professional rugby players, overseas or, for some of them, as All Blacks. Stuart would say that if the players leave and go to another club in North Harbour, their job isn’t done because they haven't stayed with Massey. It encourages them to produce the best possible fit facilities to keep people wanting to come back to the club, having the right environment and the pathway for the players. Mark also spot lightsthis link between the players and the club, with many former players coming back to visit.

Looking further than just success on the field, Massey RFC keeps having everyone involved. And sometimes, success is valued with little daily details. Having to wait 40 minutes for a meal because there are too many people in the club house is one of them. Having a dedicated fan, Monica, recording and commenting the practices of the team is another one.

For Massey, if all these details keep coming together, and things go their way in the next years, Mark might have to repeat his infamous table dance to celebrate sooner than expected …