Canterbury Rugby Football Union
Encyclopedia
The Canterbury Rugby Football Union (CRFU) is the governing body for rugby union
in a substantial part of the Canterbury
region, in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand
. Its colours are red and black in a hoop design.
Canterbury's top representative team has won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition nine times including a "fourpeat" 2008-9-10-11, with five in the National Provincial Championship
, two in the Air New Zealand Cup
, and two in the ITM Cup.
The Canterbury union makes up the base of the Crusaders Super Rugby
franchise, who compete in a competition involving New Zealand, Australian and South African based teams.
, the first Rugby Union established in New Zealand in 1879.
unions, and sub-unions, each affiliated to the parent body, formed in other districts.
In 1888, Canterbury union was divided with the setting up at Timaru on 8 March of the South Canterbury union. This comprised South Canterbury (later Timaru), Fairlie Creek, Geraldine, Temuka, Waimate, Winchester, and Timaru Pirate clubs.
is a provincial challenge trophy that was donated to New Zealand rugby by the Earl of Ranfurly, the country’s Governor General between 1887 and 1904. The trophy was initially played for by Auckland
and Wellington
in 1904, with Wellington winning the inaugural ‘challenge’ 6-3 in Auckland.
Canterbury first bid for the trophy in its second game in 1904, and challenged for the shield on 11 occasions before it was finally successful for a first time, when beating Manawhenua
17-6 at Palmerston North. This was the first of 12 tenures that Canterbury enjoyed as shield holder, to the end of the 2007 season
.
Canterbury’s longest term as shield holder, and the equal second longest by any side in the history of the prestigious trophy, was achieved between 1982 and 1985 when a Don Hayes-led side resisted 25 defences. The province’s next best run is 23 which has been achieved twice: by the 1953-56 side, and also between 2000 and 2003.
Canterbury’s first run with the shield lasted just two games, with the 17-6 win over Manawhenua in 1927 being followed by a successful defense early in 1928 against South Canterbury before Wairarapa snuck an 8-7 win at Lancaster Park to return the trophy to the North Island.
Only Auckland (15) has successfully challenged for the shield on more occasions than Canterbury’s 12.
They have been in a number memorable shield matches including their 5-3 win over West Coast
on August 27, 1932, led by Jack Manchester and Beau Cottrell, their 9 all draw in 1954 and 22-20 win in 1994 over their southern rivals Otago
.
.
Country Cup is the Premier Competition over the region known as the Canterbury Country. The region includes clubs from the Ellesmere and North Canterbury Sub-Unions and the Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union
.
being used to determine the best teams. The top four teams from each section go one to the Quarter-finals, the winners from these matches go to the Semi-finals, and the two winners from the semis go on to compete for the PGG Wrightson Country Cup in the final.
Players who play in this tournament are eligible to lay for the Canterbury Country representative team.
The First Division runs for over four months, normally beginning in April and finishing in August. The round-robin is run over 2 months where every team faces each other once and the Rugby Union Bonus Points System
is used to determine the top placed team. The top placed team at the end of the round-robin is rewarded the CBS Canterbury Cup.
At the conclusion of the round-robin the team are split into two sections based on the CBS Canterbury Cup round, i.e. Section One - teams 1, 4, 5, 8 and 9; and Section Two - teams 2, 3, 6, 7, 10 and 11. A round-robin of 4 games and a bye in section one and 5 games in section two. The winner of the round-robin will receive the bye in the first round of the trophy matches.
At the completion of Round Two the first and second placed teams in each section play-off for the CBS Canterbury Trophy, the third and fourth placed teams in each play-off for the CBS Canterbury Plate and the remaining three teams compete for the CBS Canterbury Bowl.
The play-offs consist of a round-robin of the three matches in the Trophy and Plate sections and two matches and a bye in the Bowl section. The finalists are the first and second placed teams at the end of the round-robin. From this the remaining Trophy and Plate teams go on to a semi-finals with a final the following week while the two remaining Bowl teams go straight to a final.
The Third Division is slightly different than there superiors. It has only ten teams and features a double round-robin that starts in April and ends in August. The top four teams from the round-robin go on to compete for the Third Division CBS Canterbury Trophy, with two semi-finals and a final, while the 5-8th placed teams compete for the Third Division CBS Canterbury Plate and the bottom placed teams face off for the Third Division CBS Canterbury Bowl.
.
. This includes Andrew Mehrtens
, who has the record for the most All Black Test points (967 in 70 Tests). Also of note is Justin Marshall
who is the second most capped All Black of all time, with 81 Test caps. Both players, arguably the province's greatest inside back pairing of all time, now continue to play professionally, Mehrtens in France and Marshall in the United Kingdom. The current All Blacks backs coach is former Canterbury representative and All Black
Wayne Smith
.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in a substantial part of the Canterbury
Canterbury, New Zealand
The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...
region, in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Its colours are red and black in a hoop design.
Canterbury's top representative team has won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition nine times including a "fourpeat" 2008-9-10-11, with five in the National Provincial Championship
National Provincial Championship
The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, is the major domestic rugby competition in New Zealand. The NPC has seen many alterations to its format and brand. Since 2006 the National Championship has been split into 2 competitions, the ITM Cup and the Heartland Championship...
, two in the Air New Zealand Cup
Air New Zealand Cup
The ITM Cup is New Zealand's annual professional domestic Rugby union competition, taking place from late July through October . It was founded in 2006 with 14 teams, after the National Provincial Championship was split into two separate competitions. The other 12 provincial teams from the NPC...
, and two in the ITM Cup.
The Canterbury union makes up the base of the Crusaders Super Rugby
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
franchise, who compete in a competition involving New Zealand, Australian and South African based teams.
History
The Canterbury Rugby Football Union was, along with WellingtonWellington Rugby Football Union
The Wellington Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the city of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand...
, the first Rugby Union established in New Zealand in 1879.
Establishing the First Union
Delegates representing Christchurch, Christ's College, Temuka, North Canterbury (Rangiora), Eastern (Christchurch), South Canterbury (Timaru), Ashburton, and Southbridge clubs met at Timaru on Saturday, 26 July. In later years clubs in the southern portion of the province were to break away as South Cantebury and Mid-CantebruryMid Canterbury Rugby Football Union
The Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union is a rugby province in the South Island of New Zealand.-History:The Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union was formed in 1904 as Ashburton Country when it broke away from the Canterbury Rugby Football Union...
unions, and sub-unions, each affiliated to the parent body, formed in other districts.
In 1888, Canterbury union was divided with the setting up at Timaru on 8 March of the South Canterbury union. This comprised South Canterbury (later Timaru), Fairlie Creek, Geraldine, Temuka, Waimate, Winchester, and Timaru Pirate clubs.
Ranfurly Shield
The Ranfurly ShieldRanfurly Shield
The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies...
is a provincial challenge trophy that was donated to New Zealand rugby by the Earl of Ranfurly, the country’s Governor General between 1887 and 1904. The trophy was initially played for by Auckland
Auckland Rugby Football Union
The Auckland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Auckland Region, in the North Island of New Zealand. Its colours are navy blue and white in a hoop design. Auckland's top representative team have won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition 16 times, more than...
and Wellington
Wellington Rugby Football Union
The Wellington Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the city of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand...
in 1904, with Wellington winning the inaugural ‘challenge’ 6-3 in Auckland.
Canterbury first bid for the trophy in its second game in 1904, and challenged for the shield on 11 occasions before it was finally successful for a first time, when beating Manawhenua
Manawhenua Rugby Union
Manawhenua was a New Zealand rugby union team made from the Manawatu and Horowhenua provinces. Manawatu and Horowhenua amalgamated in 1925 and split again in 1933.-Ranfurly Shield:...
17-6 at Palmerston North. This was the first of 12 tenures that Canterbury enjoyed as shield holder, to the end of the 2007 season
2007 Air New Zealand Cup
The 2007 Air New Zealand Cup was a provincial rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. Matches started on Thursday 26 July 2007, and the Final, in which Auckland defeated Wellington, was held on Saturday 20 October....
.
Canterbury’s longest term as shield holder, and the equal second longest by any side in the history of the prestigious trophy, was achieved between 1982 and 1985 when a Don Hayes-led side resisted 25 defences. The province’s next best run is 23 which has been achieved twice: by the 1953-56 side, and also between 2000 and 2003.
Canterbury’s first run with the shield lasted just two games, with the 17-6 win over Manawhenua in 1927 being followed by a successful defense early in 1928 against South Canterbury before Wairarapa snuck an 8-7 win at Lancaster Park to return the trophy to the North Island.
Only Auckland (15) has successfully challenged for the shield on more occasions than Canterbury’s 12.
They have been in a number memorable shield matches including their 5-3 win over West Coast
West Coast Rugby Football Union
The West Coast Rugby Football Union, formed in 1890, is the official governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the West Coast region of New Zealand and is affiliated to the New Zealand Rugby Union. The team is based in Greymouth and plays home matches at Rugby Park....
on August 27, 1932, led by Jack Manchester and Beau Cottrell, their 9 all draw in 1954 and 22-20 win in 1994 over their southern rivals Otago
Otago Rugby Football Union
The Otago Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union for the Otago Region of New Zealand. The union is based in the city of Dunedin, and its home ground is Forsyth Barr Stadium. The top representative team competes in the ITM Cup, New Zealand's top provincial...
.
Club Strength
Cantebury have the most clubs out of all New Zealand rugby unions with 47 in 3 sub-unions. The first clubs Christchurch, Christ's College, Temuka, Rangiora, Eastern, Timaru, Ashburton and Southbridge clubs who were the founding members of the Canterbury Union. The PGG Wrightson Cup is the premier competition played over the Ellesmer and North Canterbury Sub-Unions and also includes team from the Mid Canterbury Rugby Football UnionMid Canterbury Rugby Football Union
The Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union is a rugby province in the South Island of New Zealand.-History:The Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union was formed in 1904 as Ashburton Country when it broke away from the Canterbury Rugby Football Union...
.
Club Rugby
The Canterbury Union consists of 47 clubs, the most of any other New Zealand Union, split into three sub-unions, Ellesmere, North Canterbury and Metropolitan.Ellesmere
There are 16 clubs in the Ellesmere Sub-Union.
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North Canterbury
There are 14 clubs in the North Canterbury Sub-Union.
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Metropolitan
There are 16 clubs in the Metropolitan Sub-Union.
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PGG Wrightson Country Cup
The PGG WrightsonPGG Wrightson
Member of the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium.Craig Norgate resigned as chairman of PGG Wrightson in 2009.In 2010 John Anderson joined the board of PGG Wrightson and become Chairman....
Country Cup is the Premier Competition over the region known as the Canterbury Country. The region includes clubs from the Ellesmere and North Canterbury Sub-Unions and the Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union
Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union
The Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union is a rugby province in the South Island of New Zealand.-History:The Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union was formed in 1904 as Ashburton Country when it broke away from the Canterbury Rugby Football Union...
.
Format
It is a 19 team competition with teams divided into two sections, 10 teams in section 1 and 9 teams in section 2. It is a straight round robin format with every team facing each other once and the Rugby Union Bonus Points SystemRugby union bonus points system
The Rugby union bonus points system is a method of deciding table points from a rugby union match. It was implemented in order to encourage attacking play throughout a match, to discourage repetitive goal-kicking, and to reward teams for "coming close" in losing efforts...
being used to determine the best teams. The top four teams from each section go one to the Quarter-finals, the winners from these matches go to the Semi-finals, and the two winners from the semis go on to compete for the PGG Wrightson Country Cup in the final.
Players who play in this tournament are eligible to lay for the Canterbury Country representative team.
CBS Canterbury Cup
The CBS Canterbury Cup is the premier club competition in the Metropolitan sub-union. There a currently three divisions under the CBS Canterbury name plus a fourth, colts and classics grade. All formats are similar and the trophies include the CBS Canterbury Trophy, Plate and Bowl.Division One
Division One has 11 teams competing in 2009 competition. The top team at the end of the season receive the Division One CBS Canterbury Cup and the top team at the end of the season is rewarded the Division One CBS Canterbury Trophy.Round One
The First Division runs for over four months, normally beginning in April and finishing in August. The round-robin is run over 2 months where every team faces each other once and the Rugby Union Bonus Points System
Rugby union bonus points system
The Rugby union bonus points system is a method of deciding table points from a rugby union match. It was implemented in order to encourage attacking play throughout a match, to discourage repetitive goal-kicking, and to reward teams for "coming close" in losing efforts...
is used to determine the top placed team. The top placed team at the end of the round-robin is rewarded the CBS Canterbury Cup.
Round Two
At the conclusion of the round-robin the team are split into two sections based on the CBS Canterbury Cup round, i.e. Section One - teams 1, 4, 5, 8 and 9; and Section Two - teams 2, 3, 6, 7, 10 and 11. A round-robin of 4 games and a bye in section one and 5 games in section two. The winner of the round-robin will receive the bye in the first round of the trophy matches.
At the completion of Round Two the first and second placed teams in each section play-off for the CBS Canterbury Trophy, the third and fourth placed teams in each play-off for the CBS Canterbury Plate and the remaining three teams compete for the CBS Canterbury Bowl.
The play-offs consist of a round-robin of the three matches in the Trophy and Plate sections and two matches and a bye in the Bowl section. The finalists are the first and second placed teams at the end of the round-robin. From this the remaining Trophy and Plate teams go on to a semi-finals with a final the following week while the two remaining Bowl teams go straight to a final.
Second and Third Divisions
The Second Division consists of 15 teams with a Cup round-robin and the top placed team(s) receiving the Second Division CBS Canterbury Cup, after the Cup round, the teams are split into three sections with five teams each. The top ten ten teams from the Cup round are split into two sections that compete for the Second Division CBS Canterbury Trophy, through a round-robin and play-offs, the third and fourth placed teams from the top two sections play-off for the Second Division CBS Canterbury Plate, and the bottom placed team from each top section compete for the CBS Canterbury Pennant. The remaining five teams play a round-robin, then the top four teams play in two semi-finals and final for the Second Division CBS Canterbury Bowl.The Third Division is slightly different than there superiors. It has only ten teams and features a double round-robin that starts in April and ends in August. The top four teams from the round-robin go on to compete for the Third Division CBS Canterbury Trophy, with two semi-finals and a final, while the 5-8th placed teams compete for the Third Division CBS Canterbury Plate and the bottom placed teams face off for the Third Division CBS Canterbury Bowl.
Representative Rugby
Canterbury have 16 representative sides. The top team compete in the Premier New Zealand Rugby Competition, the Air New Zealand CupAir New Zealand Cup
The ITM Cup is New Zealand's annual professional domestic Rugby union competition, taking place from late July through October . It was founded in 2006 with 14 teams, after the National Provincial Championship was split into two separate competitions. The other 12 provincial teams from the NPC...
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Men's
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Notable players
The union has produced countless players for New Zealand's storied national team, the All BlacksAll Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
. This includes Andrew Mehrtens
Andrew Mehrtens
Andrew Philip Mehrtens MNZM is a New Zealand rugby union footballer, currently playing in France for Béziers, a club in the third-level Fédérale 1 league...
, who has the record for the most All Black Test points (967 in 70 Tests). Also of note is Justin Marshall
Justin Marshall
Justin Warren Marshall, MNZM is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He was born in Mataura and educated in Gore before settling in Christchurch. Marshall played 81 games for the New Zealand All Blacks between 1995 and 2005...
who is the second most capped All Black of all time, with 81 Test caps. Both players, arguably the province's greatest inside back pairing of all time, now continue to play professionally, Mehrtens in France and Marshall in the United Kingdom. The current All Blacks backs coach is former Canterbury representative and All Black
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
Wayne Smith
Wayne Smith
Wayne Smith may refer to:* Wayne Smith , Australian politician* Wayne Smith , Jamaican Reggae musician* Wayne Smith , hockey player for the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL...
.
Former
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Daryl Gibson Daryl Peter Earl Gibson is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer who played inside centre for Canterbury Crusaders in the southern hemisphere and Bristol Shoguns, Leicester Tigers and Glasgow Warriors in the northern hemisphere... Craig Green Craig Ivan Green, is a New Zealand born rugby union footballer turned coach. He played on the wing and played 39 times as an All Black from 1983 until 1987. He played his provincial rugby for Canterbury and finished off his career in Italy.-Coaching career:Recently he has moved back to Italy and... Scott Hamilton (rugby player) Scott Elliot Hamilton is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays for Leicester Tigers in the Guinness Premiership. He previously played for the Crusaders in the Super 14, Canterbury in the New Zealand NPC competition and for his club in North Canterbury Glenmark... Mark Hammett Mark Garry Hammett is a rugby union coach and former New Zealand rugby union player. Hammett played provincial rugby for Canterbury, as a hooker, between 1992 and 2002. When the Crusaders franchise was formed for the Super 12 in 1996, Hammett was contracted, becoming a founding player... Gavin Hill Gavin Lyle Hill was a rugby league and rugby union player, who has resided in Wellington for the last 10 years before moving back to Auckland to take a coaching position in the Air New Zealand Cup.... Jock Hobbs Michael James "Jock" Bowie Hobbs, CNZM is a former New Zealand rugby union player who was an All Blacks flanker who played in 21 tests between 1983 and 1986, with four tests as captain. In recent years he has been prominent in rugby administration... |
Ian Hurst Ian Archibald Hurst is a Rugby Union player who played for the All Blacks in the early 1970s, he was the 717th All Black... Chris Jack Christopher Raymond Jack is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who plays as a lock. He has played for Canterbury and the Tasman Makos in the National Provincial Championship and its successor, the Air New Zealand Cup; the Crusaders in Super Rugby; Saracens in the Guinness Premiership; and... Ian Kirkpatrick Ian Andrew Kirkpatrick is a former New Zealand rugby union player, who was captain of the All Blacks.Kirkpatrick began his first-class career in 1966 at the age of 20 playing for Poverty Bay. One year later in he moved to Canterbury and established himself in the local provincial team... Chris Laidlaw Christopher Robert Laidlaw , Rhodes Scholar, All Black, diplomat, MP, talk radio host, author, is a 20th century New Zealand figure.-Academic and Rugby Union:... Leon MacDonald Leon Raymond MacDonald is a retired New Zealand rugby union footballer, and now assistant coach for the Tasman Makos rugby team, who played 56 tests for the national team, All Blacks. He plays first five-eighths and fullback.-Biography:MacDonald was born in Blenheim, New Zealand, and attended... Justin Marshall Justin Warren Marshall, MNZM is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He was born in Mataura and educated in Gore before settling in Christchurch. Marshall played 81 games for the New Zealand All Blacks between 1995 and 2005... |
Norm Maxwell Norman Michael Clifford Maxwell is a New Zealand rugby union player. His usual position is at lock. He is 1.98m tall and weighs 106 kg. He played for Canterbury in the NPC and he also represented Crusaders in the Super 12 rugby competition... Nathan Mauger Nathan Keith Mauger is a rugby union player. He spent the entirety of his Super Rugby career with the Canterbury Crusaders. He played for the All Blacks in 2002 in which he played 2 games but never played a test. He made his debut against Ireland A and played his latest game against Scotland A.... Mark Mayerhofler Mark Mayerhofler was a rugby union player for Newcastle Falcons in the Guinness Premiership.Mark Mayerhofler's position of choice is as a centre.-External links:*... Fergie McCormick Fergie McCormick is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer who played for the All Blacks and Canterbury. McCormick first played representative rugby for Canterbury in 1958 when he played first five-eighth against Wellington... Duncan McGregor Duncan McGregor , was a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He was a member of the legendary 1905 Original All Blacks and went on the 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:... Andrew Mehrtens Andrew Philip Mehrtens MNZM is a New Zealand rugby union footballer, currently playing in France for Béziers, a club in the third-level Fédérale 1 league... |
Tane Norton Rangitane Will "Tane" Norton MNZM is a New Zealand rugby union player. He played at the hooker position... Scott Robertson (rugby player) Scott Robertson is a rugby union footballer, who plays Flanker for Perpignan. He has previously played for Canterbury Crusaders and New Zealand.-All Black's Statistics:Tests: 23 Games: 0... Mark Powell Robinson Mark Powell Robinson is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer.-External links:... Wayne Smith (rugby player) Wayne Ross Smith is a former rugby union footballer, and currently a rugby union coach. He is currently the backs coach for New Zealand's national rugby union team the All Blacks. He played provincial rugby for Canterbury and became an All Black in 1980. He played first five-eighth, gaining 35... Greg Somerville Greg Mardon Somerville is a New Zealand rugby union player. He is a former All Black and a specialised tighthead prop who can also play loosehead. Somerville made his All Black debut in 2000 against Tonga, a match in which the All Blacks won 102–0... Reuben Thorne Reuben David Thorne is a New Zealand rugby union player, and former captain of the national team, the All Blacks.-Super 12:... |
Wilson Whineray Sir Wilson James Whineray, KNZM, OBE is a former business executive and the longest-serving captain of the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby union team. Rugby writer T.P. McLean considered him the All Blacks' greatest captain.He first played for the All Blacks in 1957... Alex Wyllie Alex "Grizz" Wyllie is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer and coach.Wyllie began his first-class career with Canterbury in 1964 and played 210 matches for the province until 1979, serving as captain on over one hundred occasions... Dennis Young Dennis Young was acting Governor-General of Papua New Guinea in 1991. He was Speaker of the Assembly when Serei Eri resigned his position as Governor-General on October 1, 1991. Young served as acting Governor-General until the selection of Wiwa Korowi on November 18, 1991.-References:*Lentz,... |
Current squad
External links
- Official site
- Supporters Club
- AMI Stadium Site
- Canterbury rugby (NZHistory.net.nz)