Taranaki Rugby have announced that Tim Stuck has stepped into the Central Roofing Taranaki Whio Head Coach role for the upcoming Farah Palmer Cup campaign presented by Bunnings Warehouse.

Stuck, who was originally named as an Assistant Coach, replaces Ben Siffleet who has stepped down for personal reasons.

Stuck, a former Yarrows Taranaki Bulls halfback, has held coaching positions with several TRFU representative teams.

He guided the Taranaki Under 19s to a third-place finish at the national Jock Hobbs Memorial Tournament in 2015 and led the FDMC 1^st XV programme between 2009 and 2015.

Stuck has also been involved with the Yarrows Taranaki Bulls (Assistant Coach), Central Roofing Taranaki Whio (Assistant Coach), Taranaki Men’s Sevens team and the Tukapa Men’s Premiers in recent seasons.

Rhodes Featherstone will step into the vacant Assistant Coach position. Featherstone, a former All Blacks Sevens and Yarrows Taranaki Bulls representative is a well-regarded up-and-coming coach.

Existing staff Connie O’Brien (Team Manager), Moana-Jane Scott (Assistant Coach), Matt Burgess (Strength & Conditioning)  and Doug Neilson (Video) round out a reputable 2025 management team.

Taranaki Rugby Chief Executive Officer Jimmy Fastier was excited about Stuck stepping into the Head Coach position.

“Tim is a highly respected member of the Taranaki Rugby community; he has a proven track record as a Head Coach.”

“Tim’s tactical rugby brain and most importantly his ability to connect so well with people make him a great fit. Tim will be well supported by a quality management team of Connie, Moana-Jane, Rhodes, Matt and Doug.”

The Central Roofing Taranaki Whio kick off their Farah Palmer Cup campaign on Saturday August 9 against the Northland Kauri on the Gully Ground at New Plymouth Boys’s High School.

A final squad will be selected following the completion of the CMK Club Rugby season.

Article added: Tuesday 08 July 2025