Three Tokoroa rugby league clubs are fighting to keep their sport alive in the town after the district council marked the clubrooms they share for demolition.

In June, the South Waikato District Council released a report recommending that 12 council-owned buildings should be either sold or demolished, including the old Pirates rugby clubrooms in Memorial Park and the red and white Tokoroa airfield tower.

While the tower has already been bowled, the old Pirates clubrooms have been granted a stay of execution as the council consults with officials from the Midland Mammoths, Forestland Falcons and Pacific Sharks rugby league clubs about whether they can keep the clubrooms open.

Club officials say if they have nowhere players could get changed, or access toilet facilities, Bay of Plenty Rugby League will not allow them to play home games, and they will have to travel out of town every weekend to play.

The clubs have now launched a petition to try and save the clubrooms, but officials say they will need to raise a lot of money to upgrade the facilities and are worried that if they fail, the future of the sport in Tokoroa will be in jeopardy.

In its report, the council says the clubrooms are '... in an overall poor condition with significant health and safety concerns”.

'It will continue to deteriorate unless investment in renewal and repairs and maintenance of about $498,000 is made over the next 5 – 10 years.”

The council decided to demolish the building at an estimated cost of $75,000.

Forestland Falcons Rugby League chairman and coach TJ Thompson fears for the future of the sport in Tokoroa.

'There's been no thought put into what happens when the clubrooms are taken away.

'We would have to play away games every week and that will cost – it will mean a loss of membership.”

He says home games bring in up to 500 players and supporters, who also support local businesses.

'You take rugby league away from Tokoroa on the weekend, you take money out of the cafés, dairies and shops around town when our players and supporters are playing here.”

He says the clubs are talking about how they can save their facility and work together for the future of the game.

'We want to know how much we need to apply for funding, and how we can rebuild.

'And we have asked for more information from the council about the costs involved and what would happen if we did rebuild.”

TJ says the clubs have qualified tradespeople within their ranks who can help with a rebuild.

'We do see the council's side, but we would like to have talked more about this to them.

'There is black mould in the changing rooms, but that can be fixed. We want to see their report and what the ongoing plan for rugby league is in the district.

'We have a big task in front of us and we don't have much time, so we need support from all the sports people here.”

South Waikato mayor Gary Petley said the council was working with clubs to help find a solution. Photo: Tom Lee/Stuff.

South Waikato mayor Gary Petley says he has met with the clubs and has told them the council is not in a position to spend money on the building which is used for four or five months of the year and is prone to vandalism.

'We asked them to come back to us with a plan to do that work.

'We know the predicament they are in, we know Bay of Plenty league are also putting the pressure on them too, but they need to get coordinated and present something to us before Christmas if possible.”

Gary says the council recognises how important rugby league is to the district and wants to work with them.

'The clubrooms were already supposed to be knocked down, but this has been delayed.

'But as a council we already need to find more money to finish projects we started before Covid came along.”

Pacific Sharks chairman Neville Takiri says without a home '... it will kill rugby league in Tokoroa”.

'On Saturday mornings the junior rugby [union] kids play down there too, and you can't ask the kids and other players to get changed out in the open.

'But the rooms are not up to standard anyway, so our ultimate goal is work together and make that place the home of rugby league in Tokoroa.

'We have so many talented players here I can't imagine not having it played here.”

-Matthew Martin/Stuff.