Tena Koe, It is with great sadness that we farewell one of Canterbury Rugby’s legends, Tane Norton, at Linfield Park today.
A Life Member of Linwood Rugby Club, the Cantabrians and Canterbury Rugby, Tane selflessly gave his time to rugby throughout his life, recognised with a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to rugby in the 2006 New Year Honours.
Tane was also a proud supporter of the New Zealand Rugby Foundation and Māori Rugby, and was President of New Zealand Rugby in 2003 and 2004.
Our Canterbury teams will run out again this weekend knowing the jersey that they wear owes so much to people like Tane, and to see our NPC team start their campaign off so well on the weekend and the progress that our FPC team has made so far in their season would make him smile.
Tane’s tangi today at his beloved Linwood Rugby Club will give many the chance to reflect and give thanks for all Tane has done in his career, and we thank him for all the service that he has given to this game we all love.
Ngā mihi,
Pete Winchester
Chairman, Canterbury Rugby Football Union
Community Welcome
Canterbury stick with lineup for clash with the Tui
Following a Bye weekend break, the Canterbury Farah Palmer Cup side to take on the Hawke’s Bay Tui will feature only two changes, as a largely unchanged side travels to Hastings.
Laura Bayfield will start in place of the injured Chelsea Bremner, who suffered a broken finger in the Round 3 win over Bay of Plenty, joining Emma Dermody in the locks, while Holly Wratt-Groeneweg takes her place on the bench.
The other change sees University halfback Kelsyn McCook come onto the bench, set to make her first appearance of the season following a couple of appearances with the Development side in recent weeks.
“It’s been great to utilize the Bye week to revitalize the group and get us ready for the push towards the end of the season.” said Head Coach Jimmy Sinclair.
Speaking to the inclusion of both Wratt-Groeneweg and McCook, Sinclair talked to the benefit of the Development programme, “Having the opportunity to provide development opportunities for all of our squad and our training partners is really important. The team put in two excellent performances against Otago Development and Southland, and it’s nice to reward a couple of top performers in Holly and Kelsyn with a chance this week.” Sinclair said.
The Round 5 match against Hawke’s Bay will kick off at 2:05pm from Hastings, with the match also live on Sky.
Wratt-Groeneweg thriving in Farah Palmer Cup environment
Last year, an injury the day before the Farah Palmer Cup (FPC) squad announcement meant Holly Wratt-Groeneweg spent the season on the sidelines. This year, she is ready and raring to go as a part of Canterbury’s strong loose forwards group.
Playing for University of Canterbury Viperettes in the Women’s Premier final against Christchurch, Wratt-Groeneweg vividly remembers the moment when her 2022 FPC dreams were swiped away.
Refusing to believe anything was wrong, Wratt-Groeneweg told the physio she was fine and attempted to run back to her team. Not getting far, she was assisted off the field and watched the remainder of the game in tears, knowing her torn MCL was going to interrupt her chances of playing for Canterbury’s FPC team that season, “everything I had worked for, had been taken away in that moment” says Wratt-Groeneweg.
The 2022 injury put things into perspective for Wratt-Groeneweg, who says “it made me come back hungry and rugby is just my passion.”
Debuting against Wellington this year was described as “surreal” by Wratt-Groeneweg and says “you’re not fully immersed when you’re injured on the sideline, but being out there and being able to play is just so awesome.”
Training and playing alongside Black Ferns in the Canterbury squad has been a learning experience for Wratt-Groeneweg, explaining the women are providing a lot of growth and knowledge to the younger players like herself, “it brings the team up to a whole new level.”
As a child, Wratt-Groeneweg considered leaving rugby and going back to the soccer field. A very intuitive friend threatened their friendship if she did, so she continued into U9 tackle grade. When asking Wratt-Groeneweg if we can partly credit this friendship to her career “he’d probably like to think so!” she replied laughing.
Transferring to CGHS to have better opportunities with rugby, Wratt-Groeneweg credits her parents for allowing her to make that move and board at the school for two and a half years. Wratt-Groeneweg captained the U19 Canterbury Black team in 2021 and was named a joint recepient of the U19 Womens Player of the Year. She is currently studying Sports Management remotely through Massey University, preparing for a career that could come a long time after playing rugby, with a promising career ahead for Wratt-Groeneweg.
Bunnings NPC side named for North Harbour and Onewa Domain
Tom Christie and Dallas McLeod return to Canterbury’s starting line-up for Sunday’s Bunnings Warehouse NPC clash against North Harbour. Oli Jager and Cullen Grace return to the bench after also sitting out Canterbury’s round one victory over Northland.
Speedster Blair Murray will wear jersey number 11 after impressing off the pine and a training injury to hooker George Bell sees Ben Funnell promoted to the startling line up, offering Sydenham’s James Mullan the opportunity to make his NPC debut from the reserves.
“It’s awesome to have those troops back,” said Head Coach Marty Bourke. “Cullen hasn’t played since the end of May, so he’s itching to be back doing what he loves.”
Dallas returns Canterbury following a month away with the All Blacks, while Tom Christie and Oli Jager have shrugged off niggly injuries to take to the paddock.
“It’s great to be able to give opportunities to the likes of James, he’s a North Canterbury kid that’s come through the Canterbury pathways and has everything in front of him,” said Burke.
“Blair got an opportunity last week and grabbed it with both hands. He’s been around in and around our group for a couple of seasons now, so it’s awesome to see him develop and become the footballer we all know he can be.”
Kick off is 2:05pm on Sunday and is broadcast live on SKY Sport.
Ray White’s Fly your Flag!
Conscious of the environmental impact that plastic waste has, we’re moving away from having Flags handed out at our games, and are instead encourging people to pull out their old flags, signs or even get creative, thanks to Ray White’s Fly Your Flag!
We encourage you to bring your old flags to fly at the stadium, this could be a home-made sign or flag or one you have had for a long time.
There will also be an area at Apollo Projects Stadium in Addington and at the Rangiora Showgrounds where you can design and create your own flag on recyclable paper, with spot prizes available at each game for the best home-made sign or flag each week!
We can’t wait to see what our fans come up with starting next week at the Miles Toyota Club Round, with tickets available here.
Waitaha squad announced for 2023’s special Tane Norton Trophy
Waitaha have announced their squad for their 2023 Representative season, which will also include the Tane Norton Trophy in a poignant series following the Life Member’s passing.
Waitaha will host North Canterbury at Linfield Park in Round 1 on Saturday, before matches with Ellesmere and the Cantabrians. They will also play a traditional fixture against Wellington Māori on the 2nd of September.
The Waitaha squad will be coached by Sydenham’s Brendan Nolan (Te Atiawa, Ngāi Tahu), Cashmere High’s Aaron Mitchell and Linwood’s Richard Norton (Ngāi Tahu).
Cantabrians squad announced for 2023
The Cantabrians squad for 2023 has been announced, with the squad designed to provide opportunities for young players who may have missed out on other representatove opportunities.
The team will also contest the Tane Norton Trophy, with Tane being a Life Member of the Cantabrians, as well as a traditional clash with Otago’s Sassenachs and against the South Canterbury Colts.
They will be coached by Marist Albion’s Rowan O’Gorman, University man Tom Meates and Prebbleton’s Simon Fitzgerald.
Senior Representative Draw - 12 August
HSOB Light Bears carrying Canterbury flag in U85 Club Cup
The High School Old Boys’ Light Bears will carry Canterbury’s hopes into the U85 Club Cup, entering into Round 3’s rematch with the Southern Bush Pigs.
Effectively the South Island Final with the two teams the last remaining southern sides, Sunday’s game at Bob Deans sets up a great opportunity to showcase the U85kg competition, ahead of a new club competition next year.
Looking ahead to the weekend, HSOB Coach Jack Hyde, a regular for the club’s Bascik Transport Premier Reserve side, is excited about the challenge of taking on the Bush Pig’s side, one that has won the Cup competition the last two years.
“They’ve been the benchmark the last couple of years, so we’re excited to test ourselves against the best.” said Hyde.
“We’ve got some good players in amongst the group, guys like JP (Jarred Percival) who have over 150 Premier caps, so we’re look forward to the opportunity to earn another week.”
HSOB have got to the third round following wins over Prebbleton and Waihora, earning them the right for glory and the chance for their coach to continue cutting his coaching chops.
“I’ve got a terrible record for turning up to training, so I now understand how frustrating it is when players don’t turn up when you’re trying to coach.” laughed Hyde, “Coaching presents a number of different challenges, and it’s been really enjoyable.”
Kick off is set for 2pm at Bob Deans Fields on Sunday.
Referees keeping it in the family
Just like rugby clubs run in the family, a number of father and son duos have been donning the white of the Canterbury Rugby Referees Association and volunteering their time out on the field!
Take the Ashdowne’s, who referee in Metro, and the Egerton’s, from North Canterbury, for example.
Brothers Simon and Paul Ashdowne began refereeing by following in the footsteps of their father Greg, who was also a referee. Now, the next generation are also getting involved, with Simon’s son Josh an aspiring referee who has fully committed to refereeing in 2023, after a couple of years balancing it alongside playing.
Simon, who has returned to refereeing this year after an absence, has enjoyed his return to the middle.
“I’ve really enjoying being back, it’s like a big family.” said Simon.
“Dad would have some of the referee sessions at home and I’d always wanted to be involved, being around it since I was a kid.”
The Egerton’s, father Brent and teenage sons Bevan and Leon, will be amongst the refereeing crew out at North Canterbury’s Junior Festival at Amberley on Saturday.
Bevan, who has refereed for three years, will control the Oxford vs Ohoka U13 game, while Leon, in his first year refereeing and balancing it alongside playing for St Bede’s as well, will have the Oxford vs Kaiapoi U12 match.
When asked about having his sons involved in refereeing, Brent was ecstatic in his reply, “yes, it is great!”
With his eldest son Sam also a referee in the past, it is certainly a family affair for the Egerton’s, with the juggle of games a constant puzzle.
“Neil (the North Canterbury appointments officer) is really good about helping us fit in all of our games.” said Egerton, “it’s something as a family that we sort out, sitting down with the map and plotting it all out.”
“The boys really enjoy it, Bevan is starting to think about it as a long term option, and Leon is still fitting it in with his playing commitments, so it’ll be interesting to see what he does in the future.”
As the season draws to a close, there are still opportunities for all players to pick up a whistle and get into refereeing. To find out more about refereeing, please email Lyndon here.
Canterbury Rugby Referee’s Association Life Members Luncheon
The Canterbury Rugby Referees Association recently held their Life Members Luncheon on Sunday the 30th of July, providing an opportunity for some of the most experienced referees in the region to catch up and tell stories of years gone by.
The men and woman around the Life Members table have thousands of years of volunteering experience under their belt, and our game would not be in the same position without them, to which many a game of rugby owes thanks for the time and effort they have put in to our game!
