Rugby, Cows and Lawyers

The Taranaki Community Rugby Trust (TCRT) has been at the heart of local rugby for years, supporting grassroots clubs and nurturing young players, and we’re proud supporters. TCRT operates its own dairy farms, owning one in Manaia, leasing another in Inglewood as well as a runoff, to provide their primary funding source, contributing over 1.3 million back into community rugby to date.

GQ provides pro bono legal support to TCRT, having guided the organisation through obtaining charitable status, leasing and banking arrangements, the farm purchase, and more.

“There’s a lot of legal work behind the scenes that people don’t see, but it’s crucial to keeping the clubs, programmes and farms operating safely and effectively,” says Garry Carnachan, TCRT Chair.

The partnership extends to a more personal level too. John Eagles, a Partner of Govett Quilliam (1971 – 2017) dedicated many years to the Trust as a board member, since the Trusts inception. Today, Alice Tocher (Partner since 2014) continues that tradition.

“Being on the board gives us the chance to contribute beyond just a legal capacity,” Alice says. “We get to be part of the day‑to‑day decisions that help the organisation thrive. They’re also just awesome people, doing awesome things in the community, and it’s an absolute pleasure to work alongside them and be a part of the incredible work they do for Taranaki kids.”

The collaboration between GQ and TCRT is a natural fit. Both are proudly regional organisations with a deep commitment to Taranaki and a shared focus on people and community. GQ’s experience across business, property, rural, employment and not-for-profit law has meant it can provide tailored support, not just for TCRT but for many of the region’s community organisations.

“It’s easy to watch a rugby match and only see the action on the field,” Garry adds. “But knowing there’s a team behind the scenes, making sure everything is in place to enable these kids to get involved in the game.”

For GQ, supporting TCRT is about contributing to a community that brings people together on and off the field. So, while rugby, cows and lawyers seem like an unusual mix, they work in tandem to bring people and community together.