Welcome to this edition of our InTouch Newsletter

This is the first of our weekly newsletters, now the season has officially begun. Welcome to our debut Div 1 team players pictured below. Congratulations to you all and we wish you all the best for a fantastic first season!

KITCHEN & BAR UPDATE

Before we get into the detail of last week’s games, on behalf of the board and management, we wanted to provide you with an update on the club bar and kitchen facilities.

Like many of our community businesses, staffing and resourcing is currently an issue. We had great plans for this weekend, but the dreaded covid has hit the team and we are now running with a volunteer base. Please be kind and patient when visiting our clubrooms this weekend and if you can help by disposing of your own rubbish and bringing your used glasses up to the bar area, it would be really appreciated.

We will open on Saturday to support our club members and Div 1 team as they take on New Brighton. Get your red and black on and come and give our players some support – it would be awesome to cheer our 2022 team onto the field for their first official home game.

On Sunday we will be open for our junior families who will be coming along for our have a go skills sessions and official registration and weigh in day. We will also be hosting CNC Netball Foundation Coaching Workshop on Sunday, so it will be great to have our facilities in use again.

Our food offering and service will be limited. Don’t worry, there will still be plenty of cold refreshments and food choices available at all times, but our tap beer will be limited to Speights. We will however have a wide range of bottled options, with some great offers on some of our current range as we work through our existing stock.

We remind all our members that we operate on a Club Licence, this means we can only serve club members, reciprocal clubs and approved guests. Please remember your membership cards from 2021 – the 2022 versions will be printed and with our members within the next month.

Any issues – talk to the  bar staff – they will be your club board and management, along with some brilliant volunteers, but just remember the alternative is no bar service at all!

What a great start to the season for the two CFC Premier teams. The women absolutely smashing Prebbleton 95 zip and the men a ‘never in doubt’ win over Sumner at St Leonard’s Square. A good one to get under the belt.

It was great to be amongst the many CFC supporters and ole mates once again resplendent in shorts, t shirts and polo shirts, an ‘Indian summers day’ enjoying some great banter. We’ve had plenty of great sport to watch recently. The Women’s Cricket World Cup, Paul Coll winning the British Squash Open, The Crusaders of course and not to mention Scottie McLachlan in the Indy Cars. A fave of mine being the now famous ‘Drive to Survive’ on Netflix.

Covid has certainly been raring it’s ugly head big time here in Christchurch which has meant some extremely challenging times for our clubs administrators, coaches etc, so on behalf of us all, thanks for all the hard work you have all put in and going the extra mile.

Finally, I want to wish our new club Captain Hunter Johnson all the best for the season. If his attitude is anything to go by, he’ll be great. As the old saying goes, “you can train skills, but you can’t train attitude.”

See you Saturday.

Give ‘Em The Axe
Bob

FROM THE SIDELINE

An update of what has been happening re Premier Men’s squad for the coming season.
Obviously Covid has had a big impact on pre-season but all going well things are on the improve. Good numbers have attended pre-season and according to the coaches all looks promising.

Missing from last season:
Matt Etheridge, returned to have a season with his first club Kaiapoi in their Premier side.
Derek Stowers has returned to Sydenham.
Ghys Rereiti has gone to League.
Cam Bailey currently playing in Japan but hopeful we will get him back mid-season
Will Tucker has joined his brother Brad playing in the USA. Hopeful also he may be back sometime in the season.
Shane Anderson: Unavailable
Jonny Van Der Velde: Overseas
Harry Kneebone has gone to Linwood

New players to come on board:
Jack Capil:  Lock/ Loose forward from Southland
Cole Spinks: Fullback/ 1st Five. ChCh Colts
Sam Tutopu: Midfield. Returned after a number of years playing Heartland for North Otago.
Reuben Spicer: Half Back has come over from New Brighton.
Tusi  Valavala: Loose forward/ Lock. ChCh Colts
Charlie Barrett Hooker/ Prop. ChCh Colts
Angus Hammett: Fullback: Christ’s College First 15
Junior Talega: Wing from Kaiapoi Premier side.
Ele Antonio: Loose forward and captain of SHirley Boys High First 15.

Aside from the above Ben Lopas ( Prop) has returned after pre season ending injury last year.
George McLean (Half Back) and Grayson Mitchell (midfield and Fullback) have been added to the squad from last season’s Div 2 side.

The side will be coached by three stalwarts of the Club
John  (Shu) Sherratt (Defence coach),  Chris (Lofty) Hammett (Forwards and set piece)
Jade Kirk ( Attack coach)
The Managers: A great servant of the club, Tony ( Bones) Hussey and Vicky O’Sullivan who did a great job with the Colts last season.
We must also acknowledge the tremendous job George (Boonie) Inwood and Lucy Dewar have done in this department over the past few seasons. I am sure they will continue to be great supporters.
Megan Williams will again put the bodies together as she has done magnificently for many seasons now as the team Physiotherapist.
The team is currently without a trainer, so if any member may know of someone who fits the criteria and may be keen please let Craig our RDO know.
We welcome all new players to the club, wish them well and trust they will forge many memories in the years ahead.
Two milestones which could be reached this coming season is the possibility of Sam Cottam reaching 200 Premier games and Nick Annear reaching the 100 milestone.

Enjoy the season everyone, and to all players remember to “ Run until you are buggered and then increase the pace.”

David Stuthridge
Sponge

Premier Men’s Match Report

Played Sumner at St Leonard’s.
Result: Win.  Christchurch 23 v Sumner 20

Could not have had a better day to start the rugby season. Bright sunshine, no wind, a delightful ground and a big crowd. The Crusaders coach Scott Robertson present to see his beloved Sumner take on the red and blacks.
Sumner rebuilding and bringing through several players from their very successful Colts side from the past two years. Christchurch without five first choice players through Covid, Academy commitments and injury.
The scene was set.
Sumner started strongly and with their big forward pack dominating the early stages, Christchurch could not get their hands on the ball in the first 10 minutes.
The pressure finally told and at the 10-minute mark their No2 crashed over wide out.
Conversion missed. Sumner kept pressing with their No3 and No 8 taking them over the advantage line with strong runs.
In this period Christchurch lost their newcomer No 6 Jack Capil with a serious leg injury after perhaps there only foray close to the Sumner line.
With the constant pressure Sumner scored a good try at the 30 min mark when their midfield player broke through two tackles and went over untouched near the posts which was converted. 12-0.
Christchurch through Crusader Simon Hickey managed two handy penalties at the 30th and 38th minute to give some respectability.
Sumner finished the half with a penalty of their own and went into a deserving half time lead of 15-6.
Christchurch supporters on the side-line were pacing about nervously hoping for better in the second stanza. However, things didn’t start too well as the Sumner forwards drove over from a 10-metre maul with their big No 3 leading the charge after 6 minutes.
20-6 and Christchurch needed something. Sam Cottam had been replaced injured at half time by Jack Kneebone.
At the 55 min mark Charlie Barrett No2 crashed over after a good build up and the ball went wide to him sea gulling on the wing.
He went off soon after with an injury replaced by newcomer from Christchurch Boys Zac Landon-Lane.
Christchurch now started to hang on to the ball and well led by William Mills and with great support from Hunter Wilson started to get some ascendancy.
At 60 minutes hard working No 8 Nathan Evans dived over a ruck close to the line for a spectacular try. This was converted and Christchurch were within reach at 20-18.
At this point Christchurch had to replace Crusader’s pair Dallas McLeod and Simon Hickey. Both of whom who had a calming influence in getting ChCh back in the contest.
There was obviously a major shift around in the backline with young Angus Hammett out of the Christ’s College first 15 coming into Fullback and Cole Spinks moving to first five. Sam Tatupu came on for McLeod.
They all provided fresh legs and did well. Hammett using his speed to cover a kick ahead which promised danger when he ran down two Sumner players in a race for the ball.
Tatupu used his strong legs to carry the ball well to the advantage line.
However with time nearly up and it needed a miracle. That miracle came with Zac McKay charging a kick down on the halfway and gathering to win the contest to the line crashing over in the corner with 2 minutes to play.
Our Patron nearly fell off his stool and one of the “Oldies” nearly lost his new teeth in the excitement.
Outstanding lock William Mills said after the game it was one of the best matches he had been involved in with the Club in his century of Premier games.
He indicated how the young team had kept their composure and produced a never give up attitude in the second half.
This was a very good Sumner side. Well organised and will certainly challenge for a top spot this season.
Work ons for the coaches would be the scrum, an area it would be fair to say that Sumner dominated and a little more accuracy at the lineout. Early days yet and new combinations. However there looks to be a good base.
Sad to lose young Jack Capil In his first game with what looks a serious injury.
A welcome return this week should see Sam Stewart, Ben Lopas, Will Gaulter and Jamie Carr all returning.
Reuben Spicer who had a good game at half back will be looking forward to the battle against his old club.
Hunter Wilson No 7 was named ChCh Player of the match and good to see him back injury free.
The Seasiders at home this week. In the last couple of years, they have had the wood on us. Let’s get behind the boys this week and fix that anomaly.
Always good to win first up.

Thought for the week:
The great Shane Warne always said when he had the ball in his hands, He was in charge.
No different in Rugby. When you have that ball, you are in charge on the field of play.

David Stuthridge
Sponge

Sponsor Corner

This week, we’d like to focus on the great team from Clarkson Signs. Nick, Maria and Jason have been long term supporters of the club for many years and continue to be our sign writer of choice. They can be relied on to design and produce any signage requirements for your personal or business needs and are always great to work with and competitively priced. Let the team know you are part of the CFC club and make use of the Red & Black rates offered to our club members.

For more information, visit their website by clicking here

If you know of anyone who may be keen to support the club, please  get in touch with nicola.flint@christchurchpark.co.nz or call 021 906833

CFC Junior Corner

We are all go this week, with our team out visiting local schools, running have a go session to promote our awesome club to local families. We love to see new families at the club and we are lucky to see many returning players again this season.

Thurs 7^th April -4:45-7pm – CFC Junior Girls Have a Go Sessions & Information Evening

Aimed at our growing and inclusive female rugby community, this is a chance to come and meet some of our other female players and supporting management and coaches. The CRFU Coach Educators will be on site to run some skills and drills and we will also be able to register your player, if you haven’t already. Please feel free to come and join us if you have a female junior player aged 10-17 who is keen to play rugby in an all-girls environment this season.

Sun 10^th Apr Mandatory Pre-Season Have a Go Sessions (and weigh in for tackle grades)

The best way to show our local families how much fun our club can be, is to come down and get involved. So, as well as our school sessions we will be offering further skills and drills opportunities for rippa and tackle this Sunday. Session times are as follows:

Junior Team Lists & Training Times

Team finalization and advice will follow over the next week or so, once we’ve weighed everyone, assigned and received all coach registrations and made sure we’ve tried to cater for everyone’s needs.

Please try to avoid emailing us and asking for training and team details in the meantime – it just stops us from being able to focus on the task at hand. There is a small group of around 5 of us, doing this work for the largest club around – we appreciate that other clubs may have finalized their team lists, but they are usually putting one or two teams per grade together if that…..we tend to run with 5-7 in our younger grades. That takes time and organization to try and get it right!

RESULTS & STANDINGS

 

 

 

 

Article added: Wednesday 06 April 2022