Bascik Transport Metro Premier semi-finalists Linwood get high praise from skipper Tepasu Thomas for having a strong family focus, something that also saw the club awarded Club of the Year at the Canterbury Rugby Awards last year.

10 debutants headline Canterbury’s first Farah Palmer Cup, presented by Bunnings Warehouse team, as his Canterbury side prepare to welcome the Wellington Pride to the team’s home at Rugby Park.

The top six in the Bascik Transport Metro Premier competition is set, following an enthralling weekend of playoff rugby.

A proud club man, Belfast’s Luke Waller can now add another milestone to his club career, breaking Ryan Hansen’s club appearance record with his 217th Premier game for his side, captaining Belfast in their Plate Qualifying Final on the weekend.

Waihora and Prebbleton remain the teams to beat in this year’s Luisetti Seeds Ellesmere Division 1, with unbeaten résumés setting up a mouthwatering clash this weekend, as the two sides face off for top spot in the final round robin match of the season.

Southbridge will don a different type of blue and white jersey this week, with the senior side stepping out for their Luisetti Seeds Ellesmere Division 1 match against Hornby in a specially designed pasifika jersey, as part of a Pasifika Day planned at the club on Saturday.

All Metro eyes turn to finals this week, as the Bascik Transport Metro Premier competition enters the first round of playoffs this weekend.

A feeling of connection and an overwhelming sense of success is how last month’s Super Saturday has been described.

With School Holidays in full swing, so too is the Canterbury Rugby U15 Development Camp, with close to 100 U15 players from around the region taking part in the three-day camp this week.

With borders reopening in 2022, international opportunities have returned for the Canterbury Rugby Referees Association, with exchanges restarted with both Kansai in Osaka, Japan and the Queensland Rugby Referees in Brisbane, Australia.

As a number of the original Hurunui Sub-Union clubs celebrate centenaries and other significant milestone, this weekend signals the 25th anniversary of the combined Hurunui club, with Club Day set for Culverden Domain on Saturday.

A host of new faces will get the chance to lay down the foundations for Canterbury’s 2023 Farah Palmer Cup, presented by Bunnings campaign, with a squad of 35 players named from throughout the region, with all five Bascik Transport Premier Women’s clubs represented in the side.

The Huria Trophy, contested between Kaiapoi and Glenmark Cheviot annually, is returning in 2023, after the original trophy was tragically lost in 2015 in the Glenmark fire.

Playing and coaching in multiple countries, Caitlain Blanchard adds coaching the Prebbleton women’s team for the second year running to her very long rugby resume.

The chance to finish a career decorated in club rugby success beckons for UC’s Sophie Anderson.

Anderson will sign off after Saturdays Bascik Transport Metro Premier Women’s Final against Christchurch with over 200 club rugby caps to her name.

Answering the S.O.S. call from his old club Oxford in 2023, club centurion Simon Fleetwood is definitely putting in the hard yards to help his side out, around a 150km round trip to be precise!

Ellesmere Rugby’s Prebbleton RFC will represent Canterbury in this year’s Luisetti Seeds Combined Country Division 1, hosting Ashburton Celtic in the final on Saturday.

100 Under 9 and Under 10 rugby players around Canterbury will get the chance to pull on the red and black jersey each week, with replica Canterbury playing jerseys distributed to the union’s 48 clubs to reward positive play as part of their Player of the Day rewards thanks to Principal Partner Ray White.

Canterbury Rugby’s Keep it Positive message will be front and centre in junior rugby this season, with over 400 bright yellow bibs with a simple “Keep it Positive” message on them distributed to community rugby clubs throughout the region.

Saracens Rugby Club celebrated their first Community Culture Day last week alongside Club Day, by inviting community members to bring a plate of their favourite traditional food to share.