Welcome to the 6 August update from Christchurch Football Club, keeping you connected with all the awesome events, milestone celebrations and happenings in and around the club. 

With the senior season drawing to a close we now look to celebrate 2026 with our annual Senior Prizegiving on Saturday the 8th of August. This is an awesome night for everyone to get together along with our wonderful Netball Club to celebrate our success as a club as a whole and to recognise and acknowledge all our award winners!

Our Junior Section will be holding their prizegiving on the 5th of September (details of the day will be provided by the Junior Committee in due course)

Speaking of celebrations it was fantastic to see Jerry Rowberry and Ari Mahony participate (and we thank you) in The Legacy Walk Hikoi from Lancaster Park to Te Kaha One NZ Stadium on Saturday prior to the Canterbury verse Auckland game. The walk was to commemorate Lancaster Park’s significant role in our rugby history and bringing our community and the ‘grassroots’ game to the new stadium. CRU also kindly provided the club with 25 tickets to the game which were given to our Junior Section to enjoy 😊

Great to have Riki, Elliot and Hugo our awesome Premier Men’s coaches back in 2027 – congratulations to you all and we are so proud to have you leading our Premier Men's team again!!

As an aside it was great to hear Elliot’s ‘dulcet tones’ as a sideline commentator during the Canterbury v Auckland game – well done mate a bright future beckons 😊

As previously mentioned Ken Charlton passed away recently and the family are having a remembrance service for Ken on the 12th of August commencing at 1pm. It is an honour that the Charlton family have chosen the Christchurch Football Club to hold this service so as we can all say goodbye to Ken for the final time in a place that he loved and adored

Subscriptions 2026

 As the season begins to wind down we need to have strong focus on getting all subscriptions paid as we still have a considerable number of subscriptions outstanding & the club requires all subscriptions to be paid

 If you have received an invoice and statements please action the required payment or if some reason you registered but didn’t end up playing for the club please let us know so as we can amend our records appropriately

 Again if have any questions please contact accounts@christchurchpark.co.nz in the first instance

 Senior Div. 1-6 & Women’s                  $240.00

Colts and any Under 21 player           $160.00

General                                                  $50.00

Social                                                     $20.00

Junior Family Member –

1 player (first child in the family) $115* includes team photo payment

2 or more players (same family) payment $230* includes team photo payment

3 or more players (same family) $300* includes team photo payment *includes a Family Membership of $60

 Coaches & Managers of all teams must now follow up to ensure all subscriptions are paid as soon as possible”

 Regards

 Shu

The season still pushes on and the weather closes in. Yes, rugby is a winter sport but come on weather, this is ridiculous. The grounds are saturated so we need to have some warmth and some wind to get them dried out so we can keep our players of the future out there, training. 

This is where coaches have the biggest opportunity to make a lasting impact. Our role isn't just to prepare players for Saturday—it's to ensure they finish the season wanting to come back next year.

One of the easiest ways to keep players motivated is to keep training enjoyable. While skill development remains important, remember that young players learn best when they're having fun. Finish sessions with games, create small competitions, and celebrate effort just as much as results.

Look for opportunities to recognise improvement. The player who finally makes a confident tackle, communicates well in defence, or encourages a teammate deserves just as much praise as the player who scores three tries. Confidence grows when players know their effort is noticed.

Variety also helps. Mix up your training sessions with different activities, player-led warm-ups, team challenges, or modified games. A fresh approach can quickly lift enthusiasm.

It's also worth remembering that every player develops at a different pace. Compare each player to where they were at the start of the season, not to the strongest player in the team. Individual progress is what keeps young athletes engaged.

Finally, never underestimate the influence of your attitude. If you arrive at training with enthusiasm, encouragement, and a positive mindset, your players will usually respond the same way.

As coaches, we may not remember every score from the season, but our players will remember how we made them feel. If they leave the final game smiling, more confident, and excited to return next year, we've achieved something far more important than a place on the ladder.

The goal isn't simply to finish the season—it’s to finish with players who can't wait for the next one

After a false start the previous week, it was great to see rugby back in action over the weekend, including a well-attended Friday Night Lights under the lights. We hope everyone enjoyed the first game back after the holidays, and we're all looking to finish the season strongly.

It was also great to see the Monday Night Girls finish with a strong performance. They've had a fantastic season, and it's wonderful to hear they're already planning ahead for 2027.

We're planning to run more Friday Night Lights sessions from next week. Unfortunately, this weekend's fixture can't proceed due to ground conditions following the recent rain. 

A reminder to keep things positive and supportive on the sideline. We're also fortunate to have a dedicated team of volunteers doing great work to make rugby happen each weekend—please take a moment to acknowledge them.

Following Friday Night Lights, the Year 1 Jenkins Team gathered for a Team Court Session, providing Players and Parents a welcome opportunity to reconnect after recent cancellations and the school holiday break.

Coaches Rob Benton & Andre Thompson shared with the team some of their fondest memories from playing Junior & Senior Rugby for the Christchurch Football Club and the tradition of a post-game lock-in (Pizza & Juice on this occasion). The evening was filled with enthusiasm, as both Players & Parents thoroughly enjoyed the chance to finally catch up in a more intimate setting.  The team are excited to see their name sake & patron  Lucy Jenkins (Black Fern #251) represent Canterbury FPC later this month.  Give'm the axe

On Sunday the Christchurch Gentlemen played their last game of the season versus the Springston.  With many father son combinations lighting up the field from both sides, the game resulted in a draw, we think...

We are truly grateful to the Springston Rugby Club for hosting us and putting on amazing weather and meals, their supporters & volunteers are absolute class.  A great day for camaraderie and banter amongst great mates and supporters.

Highlights included 4 bottles of Port, 64 yellow cards & 27 red cards and a lolly scramble.

A massive shout out to Richie 'Spud' Owen for being a lynch pin for the Gentlemen, we cant wait for 2027!