Hello and welcome to the latest issue of The Red & Black.
My name is Craig Calder and I am the new Rugby Manager in North Canterbury, overseeing the administration of the North Canterbury Rugby Sub-Union and commercial interests for both North Canterbury and Ellesmere Sub-Unions.
Previously, I’ve been involved in the community game through time spent on the CRFU Metro board and as Christchurch Football Club Chairman and Club Captain.
Most recently, I was the CEO of the South Canterbury Rugby Union for the last 7 years. Over this time, we had many highlights such as winning the Meads Cup for the past two years and beginning the redevelopment of the $8.8 million Alpine Energy Stadium, renamed to Fraser Park, which opens in February 2024.
I’m excited to be a part of North Canterbury Rugby, with the heritage of the Country Rugby game, the commitment of the North Canterbury Rugby board and the clubs cannot be faulted, and I want to thank everyone for making me feel welcome in this new role.
This year, our player and team numbers have been very stable, with an increase in the amount of Women’s and Girls players, an exciting by-product of the recent Rugby World Cup.
It is important that we focus on creating a great player experience, understand their needs and develop their skills especially for our younger players. We are indebted to Canterbury Rugby for the outstanding support they provide to North Canterbury Rugby.
North Canterbury Rugby has an exciting year ahead, with the 100th Anniversary Southbridge Shield Challenge on the 2nd of September and an end of season tour to Japan to play Robbie Dean’s Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights side.
Good luck to all participants this weekend, and I hope you all enjoy another exciting weekend of rugby here in Canterbury.
Ngā mihi,
Craig Calder
Rugby Manager, North Canterbury Rugby Sub-Union
Community Welcome
Jimmy Sinclair announced as new Farah Palmer Cup Head Coach and full-time Skills Coach
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.
It’s the first time Canterbury has had a full-time paid coach dedicated specifically to women’s rugby, strengthening the Union’s commitment to the women’s game.
Sinclair will work alongside Matatū’s Head of Rugby Whitney Hansen to enhance what's on offer to women in the region.
“I’m ecstatic and grateful to have this opportunity,” said Sinclair, “The work that has been done prior to this has contributed to where the women’s game has got to in Canterbury, and now to have this collaboration and shared resources across Canterbury and Matatū to grow the wider scope of the female game is exciting.”
“Amongst all of the growth seen throughout Canterbury, our challenge now is to help the women in our Academy and clubs to continue to grow alongside those that are now in the Black Ferns, and for us to continue to build a world class resource for women’s rugby in Canterbury.”
Head of Canterbury’s Women’s Academy Cate Sexton heralded the chance to have Sinclair involved in the women’s game full time.
“The experience and understanding Jimmy brings is second-to-none and his ability to connect, challenge and grow people means he is the perfect person to work across the range of talent and abilities we have presently in the women’s game.”
Sexton also spoke about the opportunity for collaboration between Sinclair and Matatū Head of Rugby Whitney Hansen.
“It’s exciting to have two coaches in the high-performance space full time, Jimmy and Whitney provide complimentary skillsets and approaches that will add to the strength of our high-performance programmes.” Sexton said.
Sinclair has previously spent time in a range of coaching roles throughout Canterbury, coaching at Christchurch and Southbridge, as well as a number of 7’s roles that also saw him achieve international success at the Youth Olympics and spending time amongst the National 7’s Development Programme.
Most recently, Sinclair was a Coach Educator in the Community Rugby team until 2021, and in 2022, coached the FPC Development side and U18 Girls’.
“It’s great to have Jimmy back at Canterbury Rugby,” said CEO Tony Smail, “He is a world class coach and will be a great champion for our women’s game.”
“To be able to confirm this second full-time position will secure Canterbury’s spot as leaders and will no doubt build on the success the programme has seen in the last five years.”
Sinclair's assistant coaches are expected to be named in the coming weeks as the defending champions set their sights on game one of the 2023 Bunnings Warehouse Farah Palmer Cup campaign against Wellington at Rugby Park on July 15.
Covering the distance – Kaikoura RFC
The North Canterbury Division 2 competition covers an extensive distance, thanks to the involvement of Canterbury’s furtherest north club Kaikoura.
Catering for the local community with a range of Junior teams and the club’s sole Senior side in Division 2, Kaikoura joined Canterbury Rugby following the Kaikoura Earthquake in 2016 that restricted access to the north and the Rugby Club’s former home in Tasman.
Since then, the club has been playing it’s trade in the North Canterbury competitions and doing so rather successfully, winning the Division 2 competition the last two years.
“We’re obviously relatively geographically isolated,” said Club Captain Dean Hamilton, “but this year, we’ve gained a couple of younger players who have graduated out of playing in the teenage grades, traveling over to Hurunui to play, and now coming back to play for our senior side.”
“We travel as a team each week, hopping on the bus, and the furthest we have to go is Oxford, who are actually heading to us this weekend.”
“At the moment, we’re operating out of temporary facilities as the clubrooms gets rebuilt following the earthquakes, so we’ve got a grassroots set up with containers but we got a lot buy in and support from the community, being the only senior team, the town really gets behind us” Hamilton said.
The club was founded in 1888, making it one of the oldest in Canterbury and regularly has the support of their one All Black, Brian Ford, a winger who played for both Canterbury and, more famously, Marlborough, a great representation for the club that now finds themselves on the red and black side of the once famous rivalry.
North Canterbury Division 2 - Round 5
Luisetti Seeds Combined Country Division 1 Draws - Round 6
Linwood celebrating 50 years to the day at Kearneys Road
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.
Following an extensive search to move away from their St Asaph St base that began in June 1966, the Kearneys Road site of six acres was selected.
The site was originally a dump, earmarked as a potential school spot, but thanks to a numerous fundraising ventures and the hard work for the Rugby Club’s building committee, the club were able to open their Clubrooms.
The Club President of the time Jack Story was quoted as saying ‘The 12th of May, 1973 will be remembered by all Linwood Rugby Club members as the day of the official opening of the new clubrooms at Kearneys Road.’
1973 was an incredibly successful year for the club, winning the senior competition with a formidable lineup of Canterbury and All Black representatives, such as Fergie McCormick, Tane Norton and Terry Mitchell.
However, the club would not play home games there until 1978, when Linfield Park was opened for Rugby, with games played at a range of grounds before Linfield’s opening.
The occasion will be celebrated with a special Anniversary Dinner at the club, with Canterbury halfback Willi Heinz guest speaking, with today’s facilities at Kearneys Road a great example of the vision and foresight of those over 50 years ago.
Thanks to Linwood RFC Business Manager Paul Kench for his support and knowledge in putting this article together.
Bascik Transport Premier competitions - Round 5
Miles Toyota Premiership and Championship set for kick off new era in 1st XV Rugby
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.
After St Andrew’s and Nelson College’s round robin match last week, played early to accommodate scheduling issues later in the season, the competition will have it’s full compliment of teams in action, including some new and returning sides.
In the Miles Toyota Premiership, the top 10 teams from last year’s competition will compete for supremacy, with teams split between Tasman (2), Canterbury (7) and South Canterbury (1).
Canterbury will be well represented in the new competition, with traditional powerhouses Christchurch Boys’ High, Christ’s College, St Bede’s, St Andrew’s, Shirley Boys’ High, St Thomas and Selwyn Schools in the Premiership division.
In the Miles Toyota Championship, the bottom three teams from last year’s competition are joined by new, returning and 2nd XV sides, creating a competitive second tier of 1st XV Rugby that should produce tighter games and a shorter competition in both divisions as part of Canterbury’s continuing work on the balance is better and player welfare areas of our game.
Regions represented in the Miles Toyota Championship include Tasman (1), Canterbury (7), Mid Canterbury (1) and South Canterbury (1).
This includes new teams in Cashmere High School’s 1st XV and a Horomaka Combined 1st XV, made up of players from Riccarton, Hornby and Hillmorton High Schools, and a returning side in the Mid Canterbury Combined 1st XV.
Other Canterbury sides include Rangiora High School’s 1st XV, and 2nd XV’s from St Bede’s, St Thomas, Christ’s College and Christchurch Boys’ High, setting up a series of competitive games starting this weekend!
Miles Toyota Premiership & Championship - Round 1
Referee Nutbrown celebrates 50th Premier Game
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.
It signalled the latest in a long list of Rugby achievements for the former Belfast, Canterbury and Crusaders halfback, who was also a member of the New Zealand Referees National Squad for three years, refereeing Super Rugby and NPC during his career with the whistle in hand.
Scrum Specialist in the Community
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.
Developed off the back of the Rugby Smart Masterclass series in which Dunlea presented sessions on both scrums and lineouts, the new role has seen him getting out to a range of different club and school team trainings, looking to develop a wide range of skills amongst both players and coaches.
Gallery - Metro U13 Grading Day
