Ohoka Rugby Club connecting with their community
Over the last few years, Ohoka Rugby Club has been reaching out to its community in a bid to boost junior club registrations, organising have-a-go days throughout local schools to help give kids an opportunity to give rugby a go.
Through the efforts of the club’s Junior Club Captain Stephen de Villiers and a team of volunteers, Ohoka has managed to touch base with almost every school in their catchment area, with the fun skills and drills sessions contributing to an increase of almost 10% to playing numbers, with the sessions now a key way for the club to touch base with local families.
“We want to try and get as many kids in to sport as we can.” said de Villiers. “We want to give kids an opportunity to be active and so we thought the best way to do this would be to show them how fun rugby is, and encourage them to join their local club!”
Located at the Mandeville Sports Centre, Ohoka is home to one of the largest catchment areas in North Canterbury, with the area experiencing significant growth over the last few years. As a result, the club has made a considerable effort to get in front of the primary schools, providing the perfect place for de Villiers and Ohoka to run their fun filled sessions and tap in to their local market.
“Last year, we went out to our catchment schools and organised these 25-minute give-it-a-go sessions filled full of games for each class, so that when these kids see the rugby ball, they automatically associate that with fun. We look at games like stuck in the mud and rob the nest, which promote team work, staying active and they ensure the kids also have a smile on their face.” de Villiers said.
“Thanks to the awesome efforts of our club’s volunteers and a couple of Canterbury’s coach educators, we managed to get about an extra 15 kids last year. This year, we’ve only been able to get to Swannanoa School due to the current restrictions and managed to get 5 new kids just from that session, so it’s been a great way for our club to touch base with our schools and the people of our community.”
The activations organised by de Villiers and Ohoka have resulted in the club having some of the best playing numbers in North Canterbury, proudly boasting multiple teams across all eight junior grades.
These sorts of activations wouldn’t be possible, however, without the efforts of de Villiers and the numerous volunteers involved in Ohoka.
“We’re so lucky to have a dedicated team of volunteers that give up their time to help the club and we’re always on the lookout for more. It doesn’t require a ton of time and it’s important to stress that it could be as simple as an hour to help organise the jerseys, or even sharing coaching duties for your child’s team.”
Clubs like Ohoka are always on the lookout for more people to help run their amazing clubs, with North Canterbury home to some of the most dedicated volunteers in Canterbury. If you’re keen to get involved, visit the club directory at www.canterburyrugby.co.nz to get in touch now with your local club today!