Kia ora, since starting in the role of Head of Engagement in December I’ve really enjoyed connecting with a number of you and your clubs.
It’s been useful to get a better understanding of some of the things you’re looking for from Canterbury Rugby and how my team and I can assist.
This season, we’ve spent some time on adjusting our club and referee recruitment campaigns. You’ll have seen these out in the market, on social media and on a few billboards dotted around the region. The underlaying story behind the design is to put ‘club hero’s’ and our champion referees at the center of the message.
Rather than simply a preseason drive, we view this campaign as something we will continue to layer in throughout the year, highlighting the benefits of connecting and belonging to a club.
You’ll also begin to see you, I, we and she sure Canterbury in the market.
We felt the positive nature of the word Can inside Canterbury was too good of an opportunity not to jump on. This will be rolled out in many forms throughout the year.
You will also see below that we’re excited to announce our Bunnings Warehouse NPC home game against Taranaki will be played in Rangiora, alongside the 100th Southbridge Shield.
This will be a great opportunity for our wider community and for our NPC side to connect, continuing to build the emphasis on the amazing community created by rugby here in Canterbury.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any suggestions or feedback on what Canterbury Rugby continues to offer, and if you see me out coaching the Ohoka U10’s this year, come and say hi!
Ngā mihi,
George Berry
Head of Engagement, Canterbury Rugby Football Union
Community Welcome
Taranaki NPC match heading to Rangiora
Canterbury Rugby’s connection and commitment to all rugby in the region is set to be on show during this year’s National Provincial Championship, with round 5 of the Bunnings Warehouse NPC clash against Taranaki set to be played in the satellite town of Rangiora for the first time.
The September 2nd match will be the ‘cherry on the top’ of what will already be a celebration of Rugby when North Canterbury and Ellesmere (Two of Canterbury’s sub-unions) square off for the 100th contest of the Southbridge Shield.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for Canterbury’s NPC side to be a part of a very special day,” said Canterbury Rugby Chief Executive Tony Smail.
“NPC and FPC really are an extension of the community game, so to be able to play this game in the community is exactly what Canterbury Rugby is all about.”
North Canterbury Rugby President Terry O’Loughlin agreed. “To have the opportunity to have this level of rugby in our community is really something special. Many of the guys playing for North Canterbury or Ellesmere on that day aspire to one day play for Canterbury, so to have them play on the same field as them, to be able to rub shoulders with professional rugby players will be pretty special.”
Six games of rugby will be played across the day, starting with the under 16’s at 9:30am, while the North Canterbury Seniors will look to defend the Southbridge Shield on the main oval at 12 o’clock, before Canterbury’s NPC kick off at 2:05pm.
Canterbury’s Captains training run will also be held at the Showgrounds on the Friday as well as other community and school connection events during the week.
“This will not only be a great day for rugby, but all of Rangiora and the wider Waimakariri district,” said Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon.
“I want to acknowledge the work of Canterbury Rugby and the Northern A&P Association for making this event happen. Not only will it be a great event for the people of the Waimakariri District and our visitors from out of town but with the NPC match also live on SKY Sport and broadcast around New Zealand, it’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase the excellent facilities we have right here in Waimakariri.”
Tony Smail also made special mention of the Northern A&P committee’s commitment to helping make the celebration come to fruition. “There hasn’t been rugby played at the show grounds since 2010, so there’s plenty of work to do, but there’s certainly plenty of rugby history and stories of club and rep games played there in the past, so to have the committee’s willingness to have the day there is really positive.”
Melanie Morris, Committee President said, “The Northern A&P committee is excited to have rugby back at the Showgrounds for what is sure to be a brilliant day of the sport and our community.”
Tickets will be available at the gate from 09:00 on the day.
Steph Te Ohaere-Fox set to become a double centurion
Canterbury Centurion Steph Te Ohaere-Fox is set to become a club double centurion on Saturday, bringing up 200 Premier Women’s games for her beloved Christchurch.
Also the Rugby Manager at the club, the milestone recognizes the amount of time and effort Te Ohaere-Fox has invested in to the game, as the first women to reach the 200 mark for the club, as well as representing Christchurch, Canterbury, Matatū and Black Ferns throughout her illustrious career.
Steph and her Christchurch side take on Lincoln University out at Lincoln on Saturday, with the match kicking off at 1pm.
All are welcome back at the Christchurch clubrooms from 6pm to celebrate an incredible milestone for the mother of two!
Bascik Transport Premier competitions - June 10
Belfast celebrate book launch of local legend
Belfast celebrated the launch of Belfast and Canterbury Rugby life member Billy Bush’s book last night, with the book delving into the amazing career of Bush, who played 101 games for Canterbury over 11 years.
Bush has maintained a strong affiliation to Canterbury and Belfast, in recent years as the Club Patron for the Canterbury Rugby Supporters Club.
Born in Hawke's Bay, Bush played his early senior rugby in both the Bay of Plenty and Northland before venturing south to Canterbury, playing all of his provincial rugby for Canterbury.
After excelling for Canterbury in a 1972 Ranfurly Shield success, Bush got his first recognition at national level with the first of six selections for the South Island and for the 1973 New Zealand Maori tour of the Pacific Islands. He formed a formidable Maori front row with Tane Norton and Kent Lambert, both by then already All Blacks.
Bush won promotion to the All Blacks when he was one of several newcomers introduced for the 1974 tour of Australia and Fiji. He played the first two tests against the Wallabies and for the next five years was a regular choice for All Blacks though not always assured of test selections.
He toured Ireland in 1974, South Africa in 1976, was in the Grand Slam tour of Britain in 1978, where he was plagued by a hamstring injury but still played in the internationals against Ireland and Wales, and got the last of his 12 caps against Australia in 1979.
Bush's greatest contribution to the All Blacks was probably on the 1976 tour of South Africa when injuries to other props such as Kerry Tanner and Brad Johnstone saw him at one period play nine consecutive matches.
Bush was penalised in the final few minutes for a supposed lineout offence to concede a narrow loss to the Springboks in the fourth test and that was hardly fair reward for the big effort he had made during that series.
After his All Black career had ended Bush continued to be a mainstay of New Zealand Maori sides and his swansong to major rugby was with them on the 1982 tour of Wales. The highlght of Bush's many games for the Maori was as captain of the side which battled to a 12-all draw with the Springboks in Napier. But for a wrong decision to award the Springboks a late dropped goal the Bush-led Maori side may have become the only side on that tour outside the All Blacks to have gained a win over the Springboks.
In the 1980s and 90s Bush resumed his ties with Maori rugby as a coach and selector of the national side and in the early 2000s was president of the Canterbury union.
His book is available from today at all good book retailers.
Metro Classics - Round 8
Saracens Start New Tradition – Community Cultural Day
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.
Saracens Division 2 Backs Coach, Tevita Vea, who organised the event brought a pig on a spit with Father-in-law Carlos Jarquin, from Honduras, manning the station during game time. Jarquin spent most of the afternoon serving hungry JAB players who kept coming back for more.
“We wanted to recognise all the different cultures we have, not only within Saracens, but our entire community” says Vea. “It was about getting people down, sharing kai and building relationships with those around us.”
Maori, Tongan and Cook Island foods were amongst the many dishes served and shared.
Brothers Ryan and Mavae Tomasi, both senior players, brought plates of their mothers Octopus – a traditional meal served in Tonga.
It’s estimated 1500 people attended Southbrook Park on the day, with many an empty plate afterwards.
Being the first time Saracens have hosted the event, President Richard Smith hopes it will be a reoccurring tradition at the Club, with future years having it as a standalone event.
Written by Hannah Yates
Luisetti Seeds Combined Country Division 1 Draws - Semis & Playoffs
Linwood quartet help Manusina to WXV 2 Qualification
Linwood’s Sui Pauaraisa, Cassie Siataga, Philomena Petaia and Kayla Hunkin-Clark have helped Samoa Manusina to Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship glory, securing qualification to the WXV 2 competition in the process.
It is also the first time that Manusina have won the championship, beating Fiji, winners of the Championship on three occasions, 19-18 off the back of a last minute penalty from Siataga.
Samoa will now take their place in WXV 2 as Oceania champions, alongside qualified teams Scotland, Japan and South Africa, when the tournament kicks off in Cape Town on 14 October.
“Honestly, I’m really speechless,” Manusina captain Sui Pauaraisa said. “We knew that we were the underdogs, we knew we had nothing to lose.
“We knew that Fiji was going to be our test throughout this whole tournament and that they were the champs from the Super W, and they beat us last year. I’m so proud and grateful for these girls, we hustled from that first whistle to the last minute.”
Miles Toyota Premiership & Championship - June 10
Canterbury Rugby and Radix Nutrition Announce Official Protein Partnership
Canterbury Rugby is pleased to announce a new partnership with Radix Nutrition, a leading provider of nutrition products designed to enhance health and performance.
Canterbury Rugby players will incorporate Radix Nutrition’s next-generation protein powders into their training regimes. Radix protein is proven to have a significantly higher absorption rate than any other protein in the market – meaning that less powder delivers more power.
Gallery - U85 Club Cup
The High School Old Boys’ Lightbears will carry the Red and Black flag in the U85kg Club Cup, following a 37-7 Round 2 win over the Waihora Longhorns
