Welcome from Community
Kia ora everyone!
It's truly an exciting time as we dive deep into the heart of footy season. Women and Girls rugby in Canterbury is thriving, with age-grade matches lighting up nearly every day of the week. These are thrilling times that promise a bright future for our sport.
Juggling my roles as both a game developer and a player allows me to directly contribute to the growth of women's rugby. Whether leading off the field or committing as a player on the field, forging pathways and creating opportunities that empower girls and women through rugby is super important to me. It's a privilege to play a role in shaping the future of our beloved sport here in Canterbury.
We're incredibly excited to see our Monday night girls' numbers nearly double from last year, and having a new competition of 10s Secondary Schools rounds every Wednesday before the Miles Toyota Cup kicks off next term.
This July school holidays, we're thrilled to host an U16/U18 camp. It's a fantastic opportunity to further cultivate and enhance the game with top-notch coaches and experts both on and off the field.
Looking ahead, the women’s finals are on the horizon this weekend, with the premier rematch from last year. Both the premier and premier reserve games will unfold at Rugby and Malvern Park showcasing four of our women’s teams.
Next week marks the kick off our Women's Development Series, where over 100 premier and premier reserve players will compete in new teams over the next three weeks before the Farah Palmer Cup season commences.
These are exciting times indeed for women's rugby in Canterbury, and I'm honoured to be a part of this journey with you all.
Regards,
Emma Dermody
CRFU Development - Women’s and Girls
Glenmark-Cheviot takes the title!
The Luisetti Combined Country Final Cup will make its return to the Glenmark-Cheviots trophy cabinet after beating, last year’s winners, Prebbleton in the final last Saturday 41-27.
“It was an awesome weekend to be a part of, it’s always a privilege to be able to pull on a Glenmark-Cheviot Jersey, let alone pull one on for a final“ said captain Andrew Hull. “Prebbleton put up a competitive fight, and put down some good try’s.” Glenmark-Cheviot are an experienced side, with a number of the lads having played over 50 or even 100 games in blue. With the weather onside it was an awesome day out for club footy! On behalf of the club, the team wished to thank all those who made the Luisetti Competition happen.
We also congratulate the Lincoln Lucerne Bales who prevailed over the Prebbleton Penguins in the Luisetti Seeds Combined Colts Final 26-20!
It’s been a week of high honours with numerous Canterbury players being selected to represent New Zealand and don the black jersey. We’re incredibly proud to provide a pathway for these athletes and wish them all the best in their new respective teams!
All Blacks 2024 Squad: George Bell* (Lincoln University), Fletcher Newell (Lincoln University) , Codie Taylor (Sydenham), Tamaiti Williams (Burnside)
New Zealand Women’s Rugby Sevens Paris Olympics: Jorja Miller
Māori All Blacks 2024 Japan Squad: Tahlor Cahill* | Ngāpuhi, Cullen Grace | Ngāti Whakaue, Rameka Poihipi | Ngāti Whakaue, Billy Harmon | Ngāi Tahu, Joe Moody | Ngāi Tahu
Our Red and All Blacks
Canterbury Pasifika enter the comp for Tane Norton Trophy
Photo: BR Photos | North Canterbury V Ellesmere at last years Tane Norton Cup and Southbridge Shield match
A revised format for the Tane Norton Trophy is set to provide strong competition across Canterbury’s senior men’s rugby representative program, a clear pathway to the Canterbury B’s, and the possibility of higher honors.
With the inclusion of Canterbury Pasifika for the first time in 2024, the best of the wider Canterbury club rugby club system will compete in a five-team tournament to contest for the converted prize, the Tane Norton trophy. The tournament includes long-standing country rivals North Canterbury and Ellesmere, Waitaha (Canterbury Māori), and the best of Metro in the Cantabrians.
The representative competition will also allow for better player comparisons for Canterbury B selection. That side will be selected at the culmination of the Tane Norton Trophy to take on Otago, Tasman, and Southland following the Tane Norton.
“The Tane Norton Trophy is more than just a tournament; it’s a platform for developing aspirational players for the professional game. It serves as a talent pool for Canterbury B team selection, with standout performers earning the opportunity to represent the region against Otago, Tasman, and Southland. Additionally, the tournament plays a crucial role in nurturing future coaches, ensuring the holistic development of the Canterbury rugby community,” said Tim Hurst, Canterbury Rugby GM of High-Performance.
The connection between Canterbury and its Sub Unions is also set to deepen. Waitaha’s match-up against Canterbury Pasifika will be played at Apollo Projects Stadium on August 10, ahead of Canterbury’s opening round of the Bunnings Warehouse NPC clash against Northland.
The annual Southbridge Shield clash between North Canterbury and Ellesmere will be held at the Rangiora Show Grounds on Sunday, September 1, ahead of Canterbury v Wellington.
“Aligning these games with our NPC draw is great,” said CRFU Game Development Manager Michael Sheat, “To highlight and connect rugby right across the board is exactly what we’re about at Canterbury Rugby. We hope it creates unforgettable experiences for our players, their families and the fans.”
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Around the grounds
Over the past few weeks, we've continued to deliver opportunities to support rugby coaching and participation in our community. We conducted Foundation Coaching Courses across Metro, North Canterbury, and Ellesmere, empowering over 50 local coaches to further their skills. Our scrum sessions and bespoke skills sessions have continued in high schools and clubs, equipping players with specialised training opportunities. 1,047 coaches have successfully completed our Rugby Smart and Small Blacks courses, while 50 young players were put through their paces at the U16 North Canterbury Skills and Kicking Clinics.
‘The Coaches Corner’, our coaching podcast continues to provide valuable insights every week from an impressive array of guests both in our field and across various other sports and businesses, both locally and internationally.
Further strengthening our community engagement efforts, we’ve hosted two Stars-opoly events in conjunction with the Graeme Dingle Foundation to promote rugby at Hornby and Mariehau High Schools. Furthermore, our collaboration with the Selwyn Sports Trust enabled us to bring rugby to 10,000 participants!
Uptake for our upcoming U15 Boys and U16/U18 Girls Development Camps is at an all time high with over 230 rangatahi registered so far.
Click here to sign up or for more information on upcoming events!
Burnside High School’s First XV returns!
Burnside High School has returned to 1st XV rugby for the first time since 2018.
Sports coordinator, Rozz Guillemot has been working behind the scenes to build a 1st XV team since her arrival at Burnside High School in 2020, and it was being introduced to youth coach Kieran Manawatu when things really started to kick off.
Kieran spent 2023 getting to know the potential players, and in turn grew their confidence that the long awaited team would be a real possibility for the following season. The boys were certainly keen, knocking on Rozz’s office door three days into the term asking if the team was going to happen.
“Having Kieran in place already engaging with the boys, it showed them we were serious, and this year was the year it was going to happen” said Rozz, “it gave them certainty”.
Without a 1st XV team to join, as many as 20 Burnside High boys played for Burnside Rugby Club. Rozz spoke about maintaining the connection with between the school and rugby club, who have supported them throughout their efforts to field their 1st XV side. “We still have close ties with them, we were a part of their club day, including all our junior teams and our 1st XV” said Rozz, “they’ve been a great support and part of our rebuild”.
Wanting to play for your schools 1st XV team is a long standing tradition for many kiwi kids says Kieran, “1st XV has always been popular in New Zealand, having that connection with school is important. They spend a lot of their time here, and being connected with the school keeps them here”.
Not working alone, Kieran has Kelvin Upjohn, a Burnside High alumnus who once played in the school’s 1st XV, assisting him with the forwards; West Melton senior player Marcus Contrucci, whom Kieran coached in the University of Canterbury Colts team; and PE teacher Gordie Lloyd, a HSOB prems player who runs the juniors.
Referring to the squad as “our little rugby band of brothers”, Rozz’s pride in the unit is evident, “This season has been about rebuilding the programme and making sure we get the culture right, and it is the boys' commitment to each other, the coaches and the programme that is now being rewarded with their on field successes. Putting aside the wins, their game play is improving each week”.
Burnside 1st XV will take on Belfast Senior Boys team at Sheldon Park on Saturday, kicking off at 1pm.
All eyes on Finals Footy!
Come on down and support our wāhine in the Bascik Transport Premier and Premier Reserve Women’s Finals this Saturday!
Premier Reserves: 1:00pm | Oxford RFC vs Marist Albion at Malvern Park
Premier: 2:45pm | UC vs CFC at Rugby Park
