Community Welcome
Welcome back to the start of the Community Rugby season 2023.
Always an exciting opening day, we begin with the Luisetti Seeds Combined Country Division 1 competition and all teams having a run at the title.
While the majority of our provincial Senior Club Rugby starts on the 15th of April, it’s great to have Round 1 of the Luisetti Seeds Division 1 underway, and have community rugby on our minds once again.
It’s been a long pre-season for some, and with Super Rugby going on, we have been treated to some special moments already this season.
Silverware for Matatū, continuing a rich winning tradition in a pathway that has been fostered in the women’s game here in Canterbury. A magnificent game and deserved plaudits for Blair Baxter, Alana Bremner and their team, and hopefully just the start of another strong season of high performance.
This season, the Canterbury Rugby team are committed to continuing the growth we have seen in our community game and helping clubs to continue to future-proof and provide hubs for our people. You will again see our events & community teams, wider staff and Board out and about each Saturday, at select Club Days, helping support our clubs and schools continue to do what they do so well, providing a home for all members of our community to both enjoy themselves and keep fit.
Alongside that, we will be continuing digital initiatives, just like The Red & Black albeit with a different look, to keep you abreast with all that goes on in our community game. Keep an eye on your inbox and social media across the whole of the season.
Good luck to all teams kicking off this weekend and we can’t wait to see how the season progresses.
Ngā mihi,
Tony Smail
CEO, Canterbury Rugby Football Union
Luisetti Seeds Combined Country Division 1 Preview
The Luisetti Seeds Country Combined Division 1 starts this weekend, with teams from North Canterbury, Ellesmere and Mid Canterbury competing for outright Country supremacy.
This year’s competition looks a little different this year, with two pools of 10 teams, rather than the traditional three pools of 7 teams.
With teams placed in pools depending on their finishing position in 2022, the competition sees nine rounds of pool play, covering the whole pool, before semi-finals and finals on the 10th and 17th of June respectively.
Week 1 is an interesting proposition, with mixture of local derbies sprinkled in amongst some exciting fixtures. The highlights include Darfield taking on a new look Lincoln-Rolleston side and Kaiapoi hosting Prebbleton in Pool A, while in Pool B, Waihora take on Ohoka at Tai Tapu, and defending champions Glenmark Cheviot welcome Springston to the ‘G’.
Luisetti Seeds Country Combined Division 1 Draw - Week 1
Lincoln-Rolleston Combined
Read more about the newest Division 1 side, Lincoln-Rolleston Combined, who take on Darfield in Round 1!
New Laws to look out for in 2023
In 2023, there are three new Experimental Domestic Safety Law Variations, or EDSLVs as they are more commonly referred to as, to look out for this season.
The main EDSLV sees a reduction in the tackle height to below the sternum upon first contact across all community grades. The first tackler must tackle below the sternum and target the belly area. The second tackler can legally tackle below the shoulders in accordance with current rugby law.
Feedback from community grades trialling the reduced tackle height in the 2022 season found that 78% of participants believed it improved the tackler’s safety, 72% thought there were more opportunities for offloads and 73% felt it made the game faster.
The other EDSLVs are found at scrum time, including the only Global Law Trial initiative from World Rugby.
Non-Premier grades will have a maximum scrum push of 1.5m, across the whole field. Premier grades in Canterbury, our Bascik Transport Premier and Luisetti Seeds Division 1 competitions, will return to full scrums in line with World Rugby and the DSLVs.
The halfback of the team not in possession must remain 1 metre from the tunnel of the scrum and may not advance past the tunnel until the scrum has ended. If they start at the tunnel of the scrum, they can move back to the line to the No 8’s foot, and is permitted to roam along that line, touch line to touch line.
After a successful trial across non-premier senior and teenage rugby in 2022, restrictions around the defending halfback at scrums will now be extended to include all grades of community rugby, including premier senior club and First XV school rugby. This is also being used at Super Rugby Level.
The only Global Law Trial in play this season will see Hookers being required to have one foot forward as the scrum sets up, which acts as a brake on the scrum until the call of ‘Set’ in the engagement sequence, removing axial loading on the necks and heads of front row players.
The EDSLVs from 2022 relating to the Reset Scrum and the High Ball Contact do not apply this year, while the Global Law Trials from 2022 were made into full law from July 2022.
Cyclone Gabrielle caused immense devastation throughout the East of the North Island, so we’ve teamed up with our Principal Partner Ray White to lead a boot drive for those effected in the Hawke’s Bay. Find out more about Boots for the Bay below.
Community Activators
Our Community Activators have been out in our primary schools throughout Term 1, and have had a great time visiting schools across Canterbury!
Focussed on growing our female game, we’ve got a Rugby ball in the hands of a range of different schoolchildren, many of whom wouldn’t have engaged in Rugby otherwise.
It’s no secret that the success of the Canterbury FPC team, Matatū and the Black Ferns has done wonders for the interest in Female Rugby, and we’re ecstatic that the next generation are getting a taste for our great game!
We’re excited to work with a number of clubs involved in our new Girls’ only Monday night grades for Year 5-9 girls. Find out more about this new intiative at the link below!
The 2023 NPC Season Draw
The 2023 NPC draw has been announced, with Canterbury at home for five games this season.
They include a finals rematch in Round 4 versus Wellington, and a South Island Triple Header when we take on Tasman on the 23rd of September, with South Canterbury taking on Mid Canterbury and Buller playing West Coast on the same day!
Read more about in the link below!
Canterbury Coaches rewarded with international opportunities
NPC Head Coach Marty Bourke and FPC Head Coach Blair Baxter have both been presented with international opportunities this month, with Bourke gaining an opportunity with the New Zealand Under 20’s as an Assistant Coach and Baxter taking a role with the China Women’s 7’s team.
Bourke will join Head Coach Clark Laidlaw (All Blacks Sevens) and fellow Assistant Wesley Clarke (Black Ferns) for the World Rugby Championships in July.
“I feel privileged to have the opportunity to coach the New Zealand Under 20’s team in what will be an exciting 2023.” said Bourke.
“Being able to represent Canterbury and follow the footsteps of the likes of Scotty Hansen, Jase Ryan and Scott Robertson is a real honour, I am looking forward to playing my part in developing tomorrows talent which is one of the main reasons that I love to coach.”
“Equally I am 100% focused on our Canterbury team growing from last year along with the opportunity to lead a fantastic group of passionate people.”
Baxter will join China as their Assistant Coach as the team seeks to qualify for the 2024 Olympics. It presents an exciting new chance for Baxter, who will move into the role for the rest of the year.
“Definitely some nerves heading into this opportunity, but with that comes growth.” said Baxter.
“There was a chance here to be a full time coach, get my hands dirty, and work on the techincal and tactical aspects that’s going to help me be a better coach long term.”
“My main motivation is a chance to grow. It’s so far removed from what I know, the language barrier, and a completely different culture will force me to become a better coach.”
The vacant FPC Head Coaching role will be addressed in the coming weeks.
