CLUB CAPTAIN’S REVIEW Is it just me or do the years seem to fly by? Another rugby season is over and once again it’s time for the report has to be written. 2016 was another good year for the mighty Christchurch Football Club, although we didn’t collect all the silverware up for grabs we did achieve a 75% win/ loss ratio success rate over the seven adult teams. Firstly, a big congratulation to Div. 3 for collecting our only major championship for 2016. It was great to see these guys finishing off the season in style and win yet another trophy. Other highlights for the year was seeing Colts Prem and the Woman’s team making the final. Unfortunately both teams didn’t get the result in their finals that they had worked so hard for. What did we see eventuate as a result after twenty odd weeks of blood and sweat. • Div. 1, making the top four , finishing third in the Metro Championship, and the holders of the DCL Shield • Div. 2, making the Semi-finals of the Metro Championship • Div. 3, Metro Championship winners against HSOB • Colts Prem, Metro Championship finalist and first round Metro winners • Colts 20, finished in the top three • Woman` s, Metro Trophy winners first round, Metro Championship finalist. • Canardlys had a good season finishing in middle of table. •
Four trophies awarded to CFC by the CRFU to show the clubs dominance in both seniors and juniors in 2016. These trophies were Evans Shield, Redpath Shield, Wilsons 45 South Cup and the Press Cup.
I was lucky enough to be involved with the Div. 1 team at the start of the season before my ankle operation. Having been reappointed to coach Div.1, Daniel O’Brien signed a contract to coach in Japan. The club then had to put appoint Dwayne Prendergast to take over the Head Coach’s role. Despite this late change the team continued to put good structures in place and the coaching team worked hard to overcome this unsettling change. Div. 1 this year had mixed results albeit finishing in the top four. While the results did not always go the way that the guys wanted, they showed that they were a proud to wear the red and black and demonstrated a good style of rugby which helped them make it into the top four. The coaching and management team should be congratulated for all the hard work and time they have put in to help this team achieve their goals. Dwayne, Ross, Terrence, Duncan, Graham (Mitch) Mitchell, Trevor Best, Pete Bowden and Megan Williams have all done a great job organising behind the scenes so the guys could just concentrate on playing rugby. A big thanks to Mitch, Ross and Dwayne for their dedicated work they have done this year and over the past years in the roles you have all had with the club. All three have announced their retirement from their positions. I wish you all the very best for the future. Div. 2 had another good season. They found themselves in the semi-finals for a fifth straight year. Unfortunately they got beaten by Burnside after eighty minutes of footy, with an ex CFC player cutting up the middle field in referees time to clinch the last gasp victory for the visitors. The team was well lead by Kyle Brewer and Luke de Beus and the commitment from the guys on the field saw them achieve some great results throughout the season. They also picked up the Challenge Shield along the way. Peter Fulton did a great job taking over as Head Coach and Alan Harding had his first year 13