Welcome to Junior Rugby!

Teams have been sent out so check your emails! 😁

It is imperative to join your teams Heja group. Link is in your team email. This is your first point of official information from CFC & your coaches. (pro features will be activated in the next few days or so & 2023 groups removed)

Please remember - your CFC committee have full time jobs, families & lives too, so we will respond when we can. 😄

BRING ON 2024 RUGBY SEASON! 🏈



CFC Junior Rugby Club:

We are a community based, family friendly club where all are welcome! New to rugby or a seasoned player, we are the largest and friendliest club in town with a satisfaction rating averaging 98.2% based on our Junior Club Survey results (when compared to other Club experience). Be part of a progressive, fun and great club based in a thriving Central Christchurch community. 

Like our CFC Juniors Facebook page to be kept up to date with our latest news and information (https://www.facebook.com/cfcjuniorrugby/

Winter Rugby 

MIXED GRADE TEAMS

Here at Christchurch Football Club - we have something for every child. From Year 1 - teenage grades, to non contact grades right up to Year 8, and girls only teams!

The opportunity for our older teams to enter NZ tournaments is also a bonus!

As always, we retain our community focus and offer a great opportunity for our families to come together to meet new friends, which we hope they retain throughout their lives. We are committed to following and promoting the NZ Sport Balance is Better philosophy with a diverse community spanning across the Christchurch region. Our PRIDE Core Values are central to everything we do.

We offer so much more than your Saturday morning game of rugby, with mid week team meals, Friday Nights Under Lights, school holiday activities, travelling tournament opportunities and other fun activities throughout the year.

Year 4 - 13 - GIRLS ONLY RUGBY 

In 2024, we will again be offering girls only tackle teams from Year 4 - Year 13. We are wonderfully resourced with  a first class coaching team, headed up by Jono & Vicki Campbell, both of whom were nominated for CRFU Coach of the Year awards in 2022. We have the largest female representation across the region and we concentrate on providing a fun, learning experience adapted to the different needs of all our girls.

We lead by example in the female rugby space, wih our Rugby Development Manager, being non other that the awesome Steph Te Ohaere-Fox. Steph is a club legend, who has played for CFC since 2004 and still plays today. Steph is an ex Black Fern, ex Captain of the Barbarians Internation team, the most capped Canterbury FPC player, part of the Canterbury Leadership team and a 2022 /23 Matatu player. In addition, Steph also coaches one of our junior teams and is a true champion of all things rugby - we are very blessed to have Steph leading our club!

Our championship winning senior women's team features numerous Black Fern and FPC players and our girls only teams work closely alongside our women's team. We are proud of the strong pathway we have established for our female players.

We are absolutely stoked to have an ever growing Girls section here at CFC! We are incredibly lucky to have some pretty amazing lead coaches on board (we always need more too!), with some fantastic support available. As well as non contact alternative.

In 2024 we can offer:

+Year 4-6 Monday night,
10 aside competition. A combination of entering teams and players able to play.
Location: Specific hubs in all three sub-unions
Dates: 6th May through to 19th August
Don’t play: 8th July, 15th July (School holidays), 3rd June (King’s Birthday Weekend)

In 2023 this was U11 Girls only on a Monday night - The only change is moving to school years.

+Year 7-9 Monday Night

A game for year 9 girls that are new to rugby and are encouraged to play on Wednesday. A combination of entering teams and players able to play.
Location: Specific hubs in Ellesmere, Christchurch and North Canterbury
Dates: 6th May through to 19th August
Don’t play: 8th July, 15th July (School Holidays), 3rd June (King’s Birthday Weekend)

In 2023 this was U13 Girls on a Monday night - changed by moving to school years and including year 9 girls who are new to the game and aren’t wanting to play on a Wednesday.

+ YEAR 10-13 SATURDAY COMPETITION

Start Date - 4 May
Final - 3 August

+YEAR 9-10 WEDNESDAY COMPETITION (TERM 2)

10 or 15-a-side grade with Game On

+YEAR 11-13 WEDNESDAY COMPETITION (TERM 2)

Learn to Play programme for beginners


 Year 4-8 girls also have the option to join into a mixed tackle team or non contact RIP, to play on Saturdays.


2024 GRADE CHANGES

In 2024, New Zealand Rugby has changed Junior & Teenage Rugby, to School Years rather than Under 12, U13 etc.

We understand for some of our returning players, some changes may need to take place, and we invite anyone with questions to please email us at cfcjuniors@christchurchpark.co.nz

2024 Junior & Teenage Weight charts can be found further down the page under the 'Weight Restrictions' section.

The key reasons for this change are:

Transition through club/secondary school rugby system with peers (streamlined through Year 7, 8 & 9, rather than disrupted by U13 being a mix of Year 8 & 9). This is typically experienced at U12s Grades where the Year 8 players (born in the first quarter of the year) move to Secondary School at the end of that season, leaving behind their Year 7 teammates for the following year to play U13s with reduced numbers.

This creates issues for clubs, coaches and managers of those teams and decreases the quality of experience for the participants as they lose up to 25% of their team the following year.

The ease of understanding for parents & participants, we need to make rugby simpler for those who don’t currently participate. And the ability to play with friends from school.

The primary determinate for what grade a player will be in is their school year, then any weight limit will be applied in areas that have this. If a player is exceptionally old or young for their school year there will be a process to manage this and this will be distributed by each sub-union Rugby Manager.


Coaches, Managers & Committee Members Wanted:

We are run by a small Junior Committee and we'd love to have more of our families on board to support us. No experience needed, just a great attitude and willingness to show your children that team work happens at all levels in community sport! 

Every team requires a Coach, Manager & Scorer. A team can not run itself. Coaches are provided with full support from all of us here at Christchurch Football Club, but must also complete a 1hr Small Blacks course with the CRFU prior to season start, (dates are available on coaches registration form) providing you with all the tools to lead our juniors through their season. It is also recommended that managers do also attend the Small Blacks course.

Its rewarding to be a part of the organisation, to ensure our kids are able to enjoy themselves out on the feild. 

We can only provide teams with the help of our parent and caregivers - we are entriely volunteer led.

If you are interested in being a Coach or Manager, Scorer or Committee Member, we invite you to complete one of the registration links below:

Manager/Admin/Committee Registration 2024

Coaches Registration 2024

Feel free to drop us a line with any questions you may have at cfcjuniors@christchurchpark.co.nz


Season Dates

All are subject to change, but this is how the season is looking so far - we will update any changes as advised!

Tackle Grade Compulsory Weigh Ins & Registrations

  • Wednesday 10th April - 4:30pm - 7pm. Event link: https://fb.me/e/4PzhE67wj
    * This is compulsory for all Y3 - Y7 tackle grades, with the CRFU present, under NZR guidelines. Very important for anyone else seeking weight or age dispensation as this will need to be cleared by Club Captain & CRFU.*

    ​​​​​​Registration close

    • Sunday 14th April

    Coaches & team forming evening with CRFU Associate referees course 

    CANCELLED - New Tacklers Session (Y3 - Y8) & contact session. Saturday 27th April  CANCELLED 
    ​​​​​​​
    Small Blacks course - Monday 29th April 6pm
    (for all registered coaches, & advised for managers)

    ​​​​​​​Annual pre season friendlies with other clubs - Saturday May 4th

    Season start - Saturday May 11th

    ​​​​​​​Team photos - 12th & 19th June - Coaches/Managers will be contacted in the weeks ahead to organise specifically which date your team will be on.

    No Play - Saturday 1st June (Kings Birthday), Saturday 13th & 20th July (middle & end of July School holidays)

    CFC Junior Club Day - Saturday 27th July

    Season end - Saturday August 31st, 


    Weight Restrictions (Tackle Rugby Only): 

    To help keep all our players safe, we support and are required to meet with CRFU weight restrictions within the relevant tackle age grades. ALL registered players who are playing TACKLE rugby throughout CRFU Metro area for ALL Clubs will be required to be formally weighed in before their registration is finalised.

    2024 Junior Weight Restrictions

    2024 Weight restrictions for junior grades can be found here

    Teenage weight restrictions, can be found by clicking here

    Like our CFC Juniors Facebook page to be kept up to date with our latest news and information (https://www.facebook.com/cfcjuniorrugby/


    ​​​​​​​​​​REGISTRATION PAYMENTS​​​​​​​

    ALL PAYMENTS ARE PREFERRED TO BE MADE AT TIME OF REGISTRATION. Internet banking can also be used, provided all payments are received prior to 14th April, unless otherwise agreed. No cash payments will be accepted.

    Account Name: Christchurch Football Club Incorporated 

    Account Number: 06-0996-0749985-00

    Ref: Player Last Name, Initial & Grade (e.g. Smith J, U8)

    We want all families who are keen and able to be part of our wonderful CFC Family.  We appreciate that finances are sometimes a struggle and if you would like to arrange to pay by installments or considered for support via our CFC Red & Black Fund, please contact cfcjuniors@christchurchpark.co.nz in confidence.

    Download the Christchurch Football App - All registered families will need to download - can be found by searching "Christchurch Football Club" via The App Store or Google Play

    WE ARE PLEASED TO BE PARTNERING WITH GILBERT RUGBY AS OUR APPAREL SUPPLIER

    CLUB SOCKS CAN BE PURCHASED BEHIND THE BAR FOR $15. ALLL OTHER GEAR CAN BE PURCHASED ONLINE VIA THE GEAR STORE.

    https://cfc.gnsportsclubs.com/pl.php



    Registrations are open!