Matamata Swifts AFC and Te Aroha COBRAS Junior AFC have joined forces to create Kaimai Rangers – the new name for youth football in the East Waikato.
The two clubs have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), agreeing to work together in the youth football space. Kaimai Rangers is the name chosen to represent this venture.
Kaimai Rangers will enter teams in WaiBOP Football Federation’s U14 and U13 Y-Leagues in the 2025 season.
The Kaimai Rangers working group, backed by the supporting clubs, will also explore other opportunities to advance youth football in the East Waikato region, through both club and high school football.
“Youth football is one of the main areas we struggle with in the rural areas,” said Dwayne Barlow, the Swifts’ Club Development Manager. “In the past, aspirational players have generally had to travel out of the community to get the level of football they need, putting a heap of extra pressure on parents and, if we’re honest, the kids themselves.
“Kaimai Rangers will mean those players can stay local and still compete at a good level.
“The transition to high school can also provide issues. It’s the age group where some players give the game away due to various challenges. Hopefully Kaimai Rangers can help tie things together across our region and offer new and interesting opportunities for players who want to push themselves.”
Prior to this joint venture, Ben Norman, Te Aroha COBRAS Junior AFC President, had also noticed the barriers to youth football faced by rural clubs.
“When Dwayne came to me with this idea, I had already been considering how we could grow as a club into youth football and continue to provide pathways for our kids as they move beyond junior football,” explained Ben. “This was the ideal solution. Having aligned perspectives made it easy to quickly forge a plan and move forward with Kaimai Rangers!
“I love the fact that we can provide an opportunity for our kids and talent to stay local and play local. Collaboration among clubs is one of the keys to the future success of rural football.”
Plans are already underway for the 2025 season. ID sessions, which lead to team selection, will be held during term 4 of 2024. A player development programme, covering several age groups, will also take place during term 4. Full details will be available soon.