Community Welcome
It is an exciting weekend in community rugby with all our senior grades underway and the start of Junior & Teenage Rugby throughout Ellesmere & North Canterbury.
Club Days are happening at Glenmark Cheviot and a huge day is planned at Ilam Fields for the University of Canterbury RFC Club Day, which coincides with the University’s 150th Celebrations and an exciting battle of the Universities, Canterbury and Lincoln, happening in the Bascik Transport Metro Premier, which will be a great watch. Keep an eye out onsite for our Events crew and pay the team a visit if you’re down at Omihi or Ilam.
No doubt everyone is looking forward to getting out and enjoying some of the action and whilst you are doing this please remember to Keep it Positive on the sidelines.
It has been a busy time for our Game Development team leading into the season. Our Game Developers have been delivering their Rugby Smart Master Classes with guest presenters across the last couple of months, which has been a beneficial way to deliver the Rugby Smart courses with some extra content from the guest presenters to help upskill our community coaches.
Small Blacks courses are also underway across the province for our Under 13 – Under 6 Coaches. Details around these courses can be found here.
We have also launched a specialist scrum coaching project and have secured the services of Canterbury NPC Scrum Coach Craig Dunlea. Our Game Developers and Resource Coaches are here to support Club & School Coaches so if you have coaches within your clubs who need some support, then please get in touch.
All the best to all teams taking the field, enjoy your weekend of club rugby.
Ngā mihi,
Michael Sheat
Game Development Manager, Canterbury Rugby Football Union
Concrete Brothers strengthening their bonds with Club Rugby
"It’s special to be involved in the Colts grade, there’s a real mix of lads,” Shaw said, “We love being involved as we can help these boys go further in their careers in rugby, build an awesome team culture where we all look out for each other, and of course, look to win and have fun.”
The efforts of the duo from Concrete Brothers have been praised by Shirley’s Director of Rugby, Graeme Moody, “If we didn’t have their support, it’s fair to say we may have struggled for a Colts side this season.”
“The boys have put in a great shift cementing the team together, both management and players, and have even managed to get a handful more sponsors too, the effects of which trickle down throughout the club.” Moody said.
“We’re a volunteer organisation, so we always need volunteers and the more we can get the better!”
With a Round 1 clash with Sydenham at Burwood Park set, Saturday will mark the start of an exciting season for the Shirley Colts.
“We all want to win the trophy, but it’s just as important that we’re all a part of a good team and helping mould that next generation into life thanks to a great team environment and looking after one another.” Shaw said.
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.
As a proud pathways partner of Canterbury Rugby, Concrete Brothers have supported the growth of the game here in Canterbury, and now Ben and Louis, the Managing Directors of the company, will play a key role in supporting the Shirley Colts.
“We’re both passionate about our rugby and we played throughout our junior years and through to the early Adult grades,” said Shaw, “both rugby and the community have been good to us over the years, so anything we can do to help, we’ll do.”
“We're lucky to have 5 young boys who work for us at Concrete Brothers, and with Shirley’s support, we’ve got them all into work and deeply ingrained into the club too.”
Bascik Transport Metro Colts Draw - Round 1
Bascik Transport Premier Draws - Round 3
Club Days return for 2023!
The Event Crew will be back out in the Community this year, visiting Club Days around the region!
This week, the crew is heading north to Omihi for Glenmark Cheviot’s Club Day, and to Ilam to the University of Canterbury, on a big weekend of celebrations for University’s 150th Anniversary.
If you’re out and about this weekend, come down and grab some goodies of the team!
Luisetti Seeds Combined Country Division 1 Draws - Round 4
Club Rugby commemorates ANZAC’s service
With ANZAC Day falling on a Tuesday this year, clubs joined 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 this weekend on the 29th of April.
This weekend is your last chance to donate your pre-loved boots for Boots for the Bay!
Head in to your local Ray White Office or here at Rugby Park before the end of the month to give to those impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle.
2024 All Blacks Coaching group contains strong Canterbury contingent
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.
Jason Ryan (Sydenham RC), Scott Hansen (Linwood RFC), Jason Holland and Leon MacDonald (Burnside RFC) have all been confirmed today as the new All Blacks Assistant Coaches, with new Head Coach Scott Robertson (Sumner RFC) looking to past experience and success when choosing his supporting cast.
