Welcome to the 26 August update from Christchurch Football Club, keeping you connected with all the awesome events, milestone celebrations and happenings in and around the club. 

Great to see our very own Tony Penny playing for NZ Over 70’s in its first ever cricket tour of the UK.

Match 3 of the tour was against England Invitational XI at the original Hagley Hall, home of Lord Cobham, Chris Lyttelton. Chris's father served as New Zealand's Governor-General during the 1960s, while his great-great-grandfather was Chairman and a major benefactor of the Canterbury Association, planning and establishing Christchurch in 1848. Many of these family names remain woven into Christchurch's history and geography today. Through Tony Penny's connection with the family, New Zealand, and the England team we were privileged to stage the match at Hagley Hall. Tony and Chris enjoyed a memorable evening together, sharing stories and a couple of schooners in good company.

Key highlights for Tony was his excitement to open the match at Worcestershire with Paul Facoory (ex-Otago) in an 80-run opening stanza.

This was followed up by a 130 run opening partnership with Paul against England in the 2nd Test. Earlier in the chase Tony and Paul had achieved a rare feat in any cricket, let alone veterans, of an all run 4. This was our second of the tour. The ball was hit across one of the upslopes then it curled across the hill and carried on back down towards a different boundary.

The full results of Tony’s personal scoring as No 2 Opener & Wicket Keeper were:

• Match 2 v Gloucestershire: 4 runs
• Match 3 v England Invitational: 34 runs
• Match 4 v England: 18 runs
• Match 5 v Wales: 21 runs
• Match 6 v Hertfordshire: 33 runs
• Match 7 v England: 49 runs
• Match 8 v England: 17 runs

All the very best to our Un13, Un12 and Un11 teams as they travel to Queenstown on Wednesday/Thursday of this week – have an awesome time everyone, have fun and enjoy 😊

Congratulations to Tina and Kara from our Junior Committee for their organisation of the Junior Disco on Saturday and by all accounts everyone had a great time!! We understand Ari, Benjamin and Hudson are very good DJ’s in the making!!

We want to wish the Netball Club who host their Junior Prizegiving this Friday night here at the club all the very best and I am sure there will be lots of fun had!! On behalf of the Christchurch Football Club we want to thank our wonderful Netball Club for their support and contributions in 2026 and to everyone have a wonderful summer & see you again 2027!!

On Saturday morning there will be a BBQ on here at the club as we celebrate the end of the Junior season – 10 teams are playing at home so come down and enjoy 😊”

Regards

hu

What a Great Rugby Coach Looks for in a Successful Season
Year 1 to Premiers.
A great rugby coach understands that success changes as players progress through the club. For our youngest players, success is about enjoyment, confidence and learning to love the game. As players develop, success becomes about skill, teamwork, decision making, resilience and personal responsibility. At Premier level, success is about performance, standards, culture and consistently competing at the highest possible level.
Regardless of grade, a successful season should leave players better than they were
when they started, more connected to their teammates, and wanting to come back next season.
The Common Thread from Year 1 to Premiers
Although the expectations change dramatically from Year 1 to Premier rugby, the foundations remain remarkably similar. A successful club should be able to say:

• Players Improved - Every player should finish the season with something they can do better than they could at the beginning. 
• Players Enjoyed Their Rugby  -Enjoyment does not mean a lack of standards. It means players enjoy being challenged, competing, improving and belonging. 
• Players Felt Valued -  Every player should feel that they mattered to the team, regardless of ability or position. 
• Players Developed Character -Rugby should teach resilience, teamwork, accountability, humility, courage and respect. 
• Coaches Improved -A successful season should develop coaches as well as players. Teams Developed - Teams should become more connected, better organised and more capable as the season progresses. 
• The Club Developed - The best seasons leave behind better systems, better coaches, better players and a stronger culture. 
• Players Want to Come Back - Perhaps the most powerful measure of all is retention. If a Year 2 player wants to play Year 3, a Year 8 player wants to return into the Colts, a Colts player wants to play senior rugby and a senior player wants to stay with the club, then the programme is doing something right.

The Ultimate Test
A great rugby coach should finish the season by asking six simple questions:
1. Are our players better rugby players than they were at the start of the season?
2. Are they better teammates?
3. Are they more confident and resilient people?
4. Did our coaches improve?
5. Did our teams and club culture improve?
6. Do our players want to come back next season?
If the answer to those questions is yes, then regardless of the number of trophies in the
cabinet, it has been a successful season.
“Winning is important.
Development is essential. Culture is everything.” 

Hi CFC Families,

What a weekend it was! It was fantastic to see so many of our teams out enjoying Friday Night Lights, with some genuinely great rugby on display under the glow of the lights. That momentum carried straight through into Saturday, where we saw a full day of competitive, hard-fought games across the grades.

And just like that, we've arrived at the final weekend of rugby for the season. It's hard to believe — what a fantastic 2026 season it has been. From the early-morning frosts at to the tries, the tackles, and the team spirit along the way, our players and teams have done themselves and the club proud. As we head into this last round, let's make sure everyone gets out there, leaves it all on the field, and above all, enjoys every minute of it.