Canterbury Farah Palmer Cup Head Coach Jimmy Sinclair has made the first selections of his time in charge, announcing the FPC Wider Training Squad for the 2023 season.  

Off the back of the successful High School Old Boys’ Tri Rugby side, Ohoka is beginning to offer a new home for all abilities rugby in Canterbury.

United RFC will celebrate a belated centenary this weekend, with the club raising the bat a couple of years late due to the effects of Covid-19.

The rich history of Female Rugby continues to grow, with a new Junior Girls’ Grade beginning this week.

A 70-man Wider Training Squad has been announced for Canterbury B, as the NPC and B’s coaching group look to identify the best talent from throughout the region.

Thanks to the generosity of the people of Canterbury, the ‘Boots for the Bay’ boot drive led by Ray White and Canterbury Rugby has been lauded a success.

This weekend sees the full first week of competition in the newly formatted Miles Toyota Premiership and Championship, with all 20 teams in action this weekend.

Linwood Rugby Football Club are celebrating 50 years to the day since the clubrooms were opened at Kearneys Road on the 12th of May in 1973.

The North Canterbury Division 2 competition covers an extensive distance, thanks to the involvement of Canterbury’s furtherest north club Kaikoura.

Community Referee Jamie Nutbrown brought up his 50th Premier/Division 1 game in Canterbury over the weekend, officiating the DCL Shield match between Marist Albion and Sumner.

NPC Forwards Coach Craig Dunlea is spending time out in the community game this season, joining the Community Resource Coaching team as their Scrum Specialist.

Popular community coach Jimmy Sinclair has today been announced as Canterbury’s new Farah Palmer Cup Head Coach as well as a full time Skills Coach dedicated to women’s rugby in Canterbury.

Springston have fielded a women’s side for the first time in their history this year, building a 15-a-side team this season off the back of a couple of years of trying.

As time becomes ever more precious, rugby has adapted to the ever-changing need of the participants with shortened seasons, avoiding fixtures on public holidays where possible and also introducing new divisions and grades to encourage new players.

As the Women’s game experiences growth amongst the playing group, coaching is also looking to capitalize on the success of Canterbury, Matatu and the Black Ferns in recent years.

The ability to help with the next generation and to give back to their community has inspired Ben Shaw and Louis Wells of Concrete Brothers to jump in and help out their local club, with the pair volunteering their time to manage the Shirley Rugby Club Colts this season.

The newly announced All Blacks coaching group for 2024 has a strong Canterbury flavour, with all four Assistant Coaches spending time in Canterbury during their Rugby careers.

With ANZAC Day falling on a Tuesday this year, clubs will be joining the rest of the country and Australia this week in commemorating the service and sacrifice of those that have served for both nations over the weekend just been, and on the 29th of April.

The Canterbury Rugby Referees Association (CRRA) is taking the time to recognise a number of important milestones this season.

Each week, we’ll be highlighting a different senior competition throughout Canterbury, and this week, we’re looking at the Combined Colts competition.