The Star: September 13, 2018

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday September 13 2018 39
• By Jacob Page
DARFIELD RUGBY Club
president Scott McIlroy has
congratulated Southbridge on
being named the host of the
Crusaders v Highlanders Super
Rugby pre-season game next
year.
Darfield hosted last year’s
Farmlands Cup fixture and
drew a crowd of 5500, including
then-Prime Minister Bill
English
But the Canterbury Rugby
Football Union’s insistence a
spectator mound be constructed
appears to have been Darfield’s
undoing.
McIlroy said in May,
constructing a mound on the
ground is not viable due to
summer sport use.
Southbridge, the home of All
Blacks great Dan Carter, will
host the game next year and
while a date has not been confirmed,
it will be prior to round
one on February 15.
“We knew several months
ago the game wasn’t going to be
coming back,” McIlroy said.
“It is a shame because the
club worked really hard to try to
make sure we had the event for
at least a couple of years but it’s
just one of those things.”
“We wish Southbridge all the
best in hosting it and it is at least
local
rugby
Darfield gracious over Super Rugby loss
a positive that the game will
remain in the Ellesmere region.”
“At the end of the day the
facilities that we have are what
we have and trying to make one
game a year work to please the
Canterbury Rugby Union probably
isn’t in our best interests.”
“We’ll keep working hard to
make sure our facilities are good
for our members,” said McIlroy.
Southbridge president Hamish
Gilbert said he was delighted his
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club would host the game.
“It is fantastic to see the
Crusaders bringing their preseason
game out into the rural
community, especially to a
part of Canterbury that has a
very long and proud history of
rugby,” he said.
“We look forward to hosting
this prestigious event and being
able to showcase our fabulous
facilities to the wider rugby
community.”
HARD YARDS: The Canterbury Bulls will rely on their forwards like Alex Todd to win the
battle up-front against Counties on Sunday.
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
Forwards must muscle-up
• By Jacob Page
CANTERBURY BULLS rugby
league coach Andrew Auimatagi
believes if his forwards
muscle-up they could
win their first national
premiership in four
years.
The campaign begins
on Sunday against
Counties at Auckland’s
Mt Smart Stadium.
With just three games
in the campaign a first-up
loss would dent their title
hopes.
The Bulls finished third last
year, one spot out of the final.
“I’ve seen a bit of the Counties
boys and we know they’re going
to have a big forward pack so
winning the battle in the middle
third of the ground.”
Andrew
Auimatagi
recently
redeveloped -
Come in & enjoy!
Auimatagi said while he had
in-form attacking options, his
experienced forwards including
captain James Baxendale, Alex
Todd, former St George
Illawarra Dragon
Rulon Nutira and
Jiordan Fidow-Kele
will have to set a good
platform.
“All those guys have
had a lot of success in
our game and I know
they are capable of
winning that battle up the
middle,” Auimatagi said.
“A lot of our key
players were in form near the
end of the club season and we
felt naming a squad early gave
us the best chance to try to get
combinations settled for a fastpaced
competition.”
He said the halves duo of Brad
great beer
Campbell and Toi Sepuloni
would be one to watch.
Aumatagi said having two
home games was another bonus.
The Bulls have back-to-back
home games at Christchurch
Stadium in rounds two and
three against Waikato and
Akarana on September 22 and
29, respectively, meaning a win
on Sunday will go a long way to
putting them into contention for
the final on October 6.
Bulls national
premiership draw:
•Sunday, September
16, v Counties, Mt Smart
Stadium, 2pm.
•Saturday, September 22,
v Waikato, Christchurch
Stadium, 2pm.
•Saturday, September 29,
v Akarana, Christchurch
Stadium, 2pm.
new menu!
great food
Mitre 10 clash
will celebrate
big club day
CANTERBURY Rugby will
celebrate club day during the
Mitre 10 Cup on Sunday.
Clubs from across the region
are attending Canterbury’s
match against Auckland at
Christchurch Stadium.
The Canterbury team will also
be wearing their club socks for
the game in recognition of the 12
clubs represented by this year’s
squad.
Canterbury head coach Joe
Maddock said the team is looking
forward to acknowledging
grassroots rugby.
“Club rugby in Canterbury is
strong and we really encourage
the team to nurture their club
rugby connections and where
they’ve come from,” said
Maddock.
“Club day provides our team
with the opportunity to acknowledge
the various clubs they
represent, but it also allows us to
connect with the next generation
of rugby players coming through,
and involves them in what is going
to be a great occasion on Sunday
afternoon.”In recognition
of club day, match day partner
and Canterbury Rugby Football
Union apparel partner Dynasty
has distributed tickets
to more than 40 clubs
within the Canterbury
great service
canterbury v
auckland
4.35pm
sunday 16
september
this week’s action...
book
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function
with us
Packages
available
region so
play-
SOCKS ON: Winger Filimoni
Waqainabete will be showing
off his Sumner socks.
PHOTO: TONY BRUNT
ers, administrators and volunteers
can head along and enjoy an
afternoon of rugby. Twenty clubs
from across Metro, Ellesmere
and North Canterbury will be
represented at the game. About
280 junior members are participating
in the club match, wearing
their club uniforms, ahead of
kick off.
Sunday’s Mitre 10 Cup match
against Auckland kicks off at
4.35pm.
cup day -
open for
breakfast
from 9am
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