Welcome to this edition of our InTouch Newsletter

We are pleased to confirm that we have several great events on this weekend at our clubrooms – so please come down and support the club if you can! Our family fun day is to recognise and say thanks to our senior and junior club families who have supported our players week in and week out over the season. Please come down with the family and enjoy and afternoon at the club.

We also encourage as many of our club members as possible to support our two remaining senior teams this weekend as they play in their respective final games. Our Nomads will be playing HSOB at Bob Deans Field 1 at 1pm and the Div 3 Choppers will be taking on Linwood at CFC Field 1, 2:45pm.

Wishing both teams the best of luck!

Senior Draw

UPCOMING EVENTS & BAR OPENING TIMES THIS WEEK

Free Tickets to CFC Club Members & Sponsors

We also have 120 tickets to give away for Miles Toyota Club Day, next Saturday 13^th August. This unfortunately clashes with our senior netball and rugby prizegiving, but all club members are welcome to apply for tickets if keen to come along and support our FPC and NPC teams.

Our Junior club, will also be taking part in the Club Parade and half time relay races, so come down and support your club and make sure you wear your red and black club colours! If wanting to reserve tickets, please click the link here. Please note main ticketed name must be a current CFC Club Member or Sponsor.

BLACK FERNS MANAGEMENT INVITATION & EVENTS

Together with New Zealand Rugby, Black Ferns Management, we’d like to invite you to an evening with Black Ferns Management! If you’re a Manager, Coach, Physio, or support staff involved in women’s and girls’ rugby, join us for a Q&A session and find out from the team about bringing out the best in our players on and off the field! Places are limited. Register now to secure your spot.

When: Monday 15th August 2022, 7pm-8pm.

Where: Canterbury Rugby Football Union, 3 Malvern Street, St Albans, Christchurch

Register: https://bit.ly/3B51l1T

Female Coaching Workshop

Are you wanting to further your coaching knowledge and gain a World Rugby Level 2 qualification? Along with @New Zealand Rugby, we’re running a women’s coaching workshop this August, delivered by women, for women. Register your interest below or contact Warren Kearney on warren.kearney@nzrugby.co.nz.

When: Friday 19th & Saturday 20th August 2022

Time: 10am -5pm plus Black Fern Test Saturday night (optional)

Where: Christchurch Football Club

Cost: $50 includes meals and Test Match tickets

Register: https://bit.ly/3ySpAgK

FROM THE SIDELINE

Who would have thought we would have got Rugby last Saturday with the atrocious weather leading up to the weekend? However, John our groundsman and a number of volunteers had the ground in good enough shape that we managed two games on Field 1.

Premier Reserve Semi Final ChCh Nomads and Lincoln University, followed by an excellent schools first fifteen encounter, Christ’s College and St Andrew’s College. Two schools, which over the years Christchurch has had an excellent relationship with.
 

The rain stayed away and arguably the biggest crowd at the park since Richie McCaw made a club appearance a few years back.
 

It has been a remarkable season for the Nomads. Being promoted to this Division, three games into the season, after it was decided that there would no longer be a Div 3 competition. They managed to forge their way into 3rd spot after the round robin. Beating Marist Albion in an elimination final by one point they earned a break of a week before meeting Lincoln University in a semi-final on Saturday. Lincoln University over the years have been one of the powerhouses in this grade, so it was not going to be an easy task against a much younger, well drilled side.

A great start by the Nomads with the forward pack dominating resulted in two tries within the first fifteen minutes, which sent shock waves through the opposition ranks.A further try and Christchurch went to the break with a handy lead. A great break out by Kodi Hepi on a 40 metre run. Christchurch won the ensuring ruck, got close to the line and then Hepi crashed over for an excellent try from the movement he had started.

Lincoln University came back in the second half with two well taken tries of their own, but Christchurch with 19 minutes remaining put it beyond doubt when ex All Black Corey Flynn crashed over between the posts.

All in the Nomads contributed to this excellent win, without singling anyone out.
Scrum was solid. Lineouts accurate and some big tackles made around the field.

I will single out one player who made a significant impact with his control around the field.
Nomads first five eighth. Kosei Ono. Former Japan first five who played an outstanding role in Japan’s historic 34-32 win at Brighton, England over the Springboks in the 2015 World Cup.

Kosei came with his family to NZ when he was 3 years old. He was a member of the unbeaten Christchurch Boys High first fifteen 2004, having two seasons in the Firsts.
He returned to Japan, and is now back living in Christchurch with his family.

The team has only lost one game in the past two seasons, that being against their opponent in the final this Saturday HSOB. They were depleted number wise that day, but Old Boys were still far too good on the day, with their backline featuring.

Let’s get behind the boys this Saturday, at a venue that is perhaps not befitting of a Final.
 

What a great turnout of parents and supporters for the Schools match between arch rivals Christ’s College and St Andrew’s, and it didn’t disappoint. St Andrews getting home by two points in a last-minute thriller. Not before everyone had witnessed one of the great solo tries seen at the ground since Jesse Bryant produced his magic for the Premier Reserves in the Final against Lincoln University 2018.

With about 7 minutes remaining the Christ’s College Prop Leota burst on to the ball around the halfway line and charged down the left hand touch beating 3 opponents before crashing over for what many would have thought was the match winning try.

However there was one final twist to this engrossing encounter. St Andrew’s to their credit and helped by a couple of penalties made one final thrust for the line. Winning a number of rucks they crashed over in the dying minute.

With Christ’s College looking at major renovations to their ground, there is a real possibility we may be hosting more of these fixtures next season. An excellent arrangement if it were to come about.
 

Good to see Scott Robertson Crusaders coach at the ground watching his son sharing first five duties with our own Matt Mustchin’s son for St Andrew’s.

A number of both teams came through our Junior system, so will be keen to watch their future progress, and as was mentioned on Saturday night, we get them returning to Christchurch along with a number of other talented footballers.

Great to have the boys, the coaches and management from both schools in the club on Saturday.

Enjoy the last weekend of Senior Club football.

Congratulations to Ben Lopas and Will Gaulter who have made the Canterbury B side with Will having a run for the NPC side in a pre-season against Otago alongside Dallas McLeod and Tom Christie.

Will has been named on the bench for the NPC Canterbury first game this weekend, with Nathan Evans also making his debut for the West Coast.

Thought for the week:
I always believe that finals aren’t that difficult to win.
It’s getting there that is the hard part.

‘Run until you are buggered and then increase the pace.”
Give ‘em the Axe.

David Stuthridge
Sponge

JUNIOR CORNER

So great to see all our teams out training again after the longer than expected break due to wet weather, on top of the school holidays. A reminder to ensure that you spend some time warming up and practicing safe technique prior to your official games this weekend.

We are lucky enough to have some of our U7, U8 and U10 teams taking to the field tonight, for Nights Under Lights on Field 1. Draw details for the junior club are below. Come down and support your teams!

Junior Draw

END OF SEASON PRIZEGIVING - SUNDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER

Please save the date! Originally we were looking at prizegiving on Sun 28th August, but with the season being pushed out and the Queenstown tournament the weekend before, we are now going to hold Prizegiving on Sunday 11th September.

This event is always an awesome celebration of each individual player and the success they have achieved during the season, so please save the date and we'll get more info out to your coaches and managers soon.

F45 CFC Kids Sessions

These sessions have been fantastic and Vicki and her F45 team have been doing a great job of providing fun filled sessions, specifically tailored for the kids. Aimed at children aged 10yrs +, the are short sharp work outs to help improve strength and cardio fitness. Parent  and caregiver involvement is encouraged.

Now that we have fields open again, these sessions will be limited to Monday and Tuesday each week at 3:40pm. If wishing to come along, you need to ensure you join the Heja team page and confirm your attendance IN ADVANCE. Sessions are $5, either cash on the day or as per the Heja Bank details provided. For the link for the CFC F45 Heja team, click here

SPONSOR CORNER

How awesome to see Marty and his team at the Elmwood Trading company win not one, but two awards at the recent 2022 NZ Hospitality Awards. Marty is one of our Gold sponsors, in addition to also sponsoring our CFC Nomads and Prem team.

You can always rely on a warm welcome and a good time when visiting The Elmwood, open every day from 10am. If you haven’t been down recently, we encourage you to get a group of family and friends together and visit Marty and his team – more information can be found via their FB Page @the Elmwood Trading Company or via their website The Elmwood Trading Company - Christchurch Restaurant & Bar

Great job Marty and thanks for your continuing support!

CFC Apparel

For anyone needing new shorts and socks, please go online to order via the CFC Gear Store: Christchurch FC Sports gear Store | Impakt

Article added: Friday 05 August 2022