The Star: June 20, 2019

WEST COAST
The Star Thursday March 14 2019
Advertising Feature
Glacier offers
spectacular experiences
with experienced guides
One of the most
breathtaking and
memorable experiences
to be enjoyed on the
stunning West Coast is
a guided glacier walk on
the world-famous Fox
Glacier, or Te Moeka o
Tuawe – its Maori name.
It is the largest of the
West Coast glaciers and
the most experienced
glacier guiding company,
Fox Glacier Guiding,
says they feel privileged
to be able to showcase
the area to their visitors.
Guiding first started in 1928, and years of
accumulated experience and knowledge
means that Fox Glacier Guiding are able to
guide visitors with complete confidence.
Their experiential offering is the widest and experienced climbers.
range available in the region from halfand
full-day heli-hiking, ice climbing or
the seasonal high guided day or overnight
options in the mountains. Their core
product, the Flying Fox: Heli Hike operates
on the Victoria Flat area, only 800 metres
above sea level.
The Extreme Fox: All Day Heli Hike is
a freestyle day for the adventurous, which
uses technical equipment to move around
the spectacular upper icefall. Starting with
a scenic overflight, the scene is set even
before you set foot on the glacier.
The Fox it Up: Heli Ice Climbing trip is a
tailor made trip designed for both novices
Challenge
yourself and experience that huge sense of
achievement afterglow.
During the summer season, the Browne
Fox: Chancellor Dome Day and Overnight
Fox Heli Trek’s are an enjoyable time in the
mountains during which you stop for lunch
and to enjoy the sensational views of the
huge expanse of the Fox Glacier neve and
the surrounding Southern Alps.
To book for one of these unforgettable
glacier adventures, phone 0800 111 600.
• By John Durning
BELIEVED TO be the
oldest rugby trophy in
Canterbury, the John
McKendry Memorial Cup
will be at stake again on
Saturday in the match
between St Bede’s and St
Thomas of Canterbury
colleges.
The trophy bears the
name of John McKendry,
Christchurch’s most
outstanding rugby player
in the early 1890s and a
Canterbury representative
in 1892.
McKendry, who was a
big man for the era but
not by today’s standards
at 1.88m and 92kg, was
named the most valuable
player in the Christchurch
senior competition three
years in a row – 1892,
1893 and 1894. He
played as a wing forward
(loose forward) for East
Christchurch.
The cup was only
awarded for the first time
in 1890, and after winning
it for three consecutive
years, it was given to
McKendry to keep. He
gave up rugby quite young
in his mid-20s.
His grandson Don
McKendry said Jack, as
he was known, was by
all accounts an absolute
character and a keen
sportsman, especially
when it came to rowing
and horse training.
“The stables were down
by the boot factory and
he would work his horses
on Lancaster Park, which
I believe had a 440 yard
track, so four times round
for the mile,” he said.
Jack was born in Ireland
and came to New Zealand
as a two-year-old with
his family, landing in
Dunedin, then moving
straight to Christchurch in
1873.
On his death in 1952,
FAMILY AFFAIR: Phil, 52, Terry, 78, Don, 80
and Tony McKendry, 75, show off the McKendry
Memorial Cup.
PHOTO: MARTIN HUNTER ​
the McKendry family
presented the trophy so
it could be played for in
a match between Xavier
College and Christian
Brothers High School in
Dunedin.
As schools and names
changed, it was then played
for between Catholic
Cathedral College and St
Thomas of Canterbury. It
was last contested in 1998.
It was a fitting donation
as four of McKendry’s
grandchildren, Don, Terry,
Tom and Tony were at
Xavier at the time.
The Xavier, St Thomas’,
St Bede’s, Marist
connection has been
a strong link for the
McKendry family, and it
still holds true today with
Phillip McKendry, son of
Terry and great grandson
of Jack, helping with the
coaching of St Thomas’
first XV.
For Phillip, when playing
for St Thomas’ first XV in
1983, he followed in the
sprig marks of his father
with history repeating
itself twice, firstly in
successfully playing for the
John McKendry Memorial
Trophy against Xavier and
secondly being in the first
St Thomas’ side to defeat
The Star Thursday June 20 2019
SPORT 37
Clash for historic
trophy will test
family loyalties
St Bede’s. “I was involved
coaching the St Thomas’
first XV, along with Steve
Hart, who worked so hard
to have the side included
in the Press Cup back
in the early 2000s, and
having been away from
Christchurch for many
years have once again
relinked with the school.
“St Thomas’ have only
ever beaten St Bede’s
twice, the last being two
years ago, but we did
beat [Christchurch] Boys’
High for the first time
this season, so it will be
a strong challenge, but
the good thing is that the
victor will be a worthy
winner of such an historic
trophy,” he said.
The match will test the
loyalty of a few. St Bede’s
rector Justin Boyle is a St
Thomas’ old boy and was
part of a McKendry Cup
winning team as a student,
while St Thomas’ rector
Steve Hart is a St Bede’s old
boy.
St Bede’s deputy rector
Gerry Davidson, who is the
current general manager
of the first XV and former
coach of the side, is a
Xavier old boy, who also
played in a McKendry Cup
winning team.
Last chance to score SFL spot
THREE TEAMS are still
in the race for the Southern
Football League’s final spot
going into the last round
of the Mainland Premier
League on Saturday.
Ferrymead Bays
currently occupy fifth spot
on the MPL table. The top
five teams will qualify for
the SFL.
Coastal Spirit and
Selwyn United are both
just one point behind Bays
and sit poised to leapfrog
them into the SFL should
Bays drop points on
Saturday against Cashmere
Technical.
Bays face the unenviable
task of taking on the
recently crowned MPL
champions at Garrick Park.
Meanwhile, Coastal
will fancy their chances of
securing three points when
they play bottom-of-thetable
FC Twenty 11.
Selwyn United have a
slim chance of securing
an SFL spot as they have a
worse goal differential than
Coastal.
But if both Bays and
Coastal slip up and Selwyn
United are able to defeat
Nomads United, they
would sneak into fifth and
the SFL.