The Star: September 17, 2020

Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
IT WILL be a case of baby steps,
but Canterbury Rugby League
chief executive Duane Fyfe has
identified an upside to struggles
the women’s grades experienced
during a CRL season wrought
by Covid-19 restrictions.
Fyfe said the pandemic’s
biggest impact on the code was
on the women’s competitions
nationwide, though his region
coped better than most.
“Some didn’t even get off the
ground after lockdown.
We ended up with a competition,
but ours struggled
as well,” he said.
The CRL had to
merge three clubs from
Christchurch’s eastern
suburbs when New Zealand
emerged from level four
restrictions with the Linwood
Keas, Celebration Lions and
Eastern Eagles setting rivalries
aside to form a side.
“After lockdown a lot of the
women made the decision to put
their kids’ sport first instead of
their own,” Fyfe said.
“There were quite a few pregnancies
as well so at least our
under-5s will look good in five
years’ time.”
Fyfe said the men’s grades
were also affected by the
uncertainty spread by Covid –
the men’s premier reserve and
SPORT 41
Chris Barclay finds out how Covid-19 has impacted on Canterbury sports codes
Financial assistance
available for rugby clubs
RUGBY CLUBS in Canterbury
battling due to Covid-19
restrictions can apply for
financial assistance as the global
pandemic threatens the future of
local sporting organisations.
The Canterbury Rugby
Football Union in conjunction
with the Mainland Foundation,
has created the 2020 Club
Covid-19 relief fund, which has
$150,000 to distribute among
clubs in the Metro, Ellesmere
and North Canterbury regions.
Clubs will be eligible for a
tiered grant to a maximum of
$7500 depending on the size of
the club and the impact Covid-19
has wrought.
The grant amount can only
be used for amateur aspects at a
club and could
include covering
costs related to
coaching and
encouraging participation,
training
and team
Tony
Smail
gear, ground
maintenance,
operational
expenses including
phone and electricity bills
plus club building maintenance
providing the funds are not used
for commercial purposes.
“We want to commend all
the clubs and their volunteers,
WHILE THE Covid-19
pandemic has added ‘Zoom
meetings’ to the lexicon
of business dealings,
Mainland Football is
no longer treating live
streaming as a leisurely
pursuit.
The code’s governing
body has ramped up its
virtual coverage of matches
as Covid-19 restrictions
forced the organisation to bar
spectators from its English Park
players, coaches and other
members for their resilience
through these difficult times,”
said CRFU chief executive Tony
Smail.
Applications opened via the
CRFU website last Thursday and
close on October 9.
Smail said he received an
application hours after the assistance
was advertised and added
to the CRFU’s previous decision
to waive levies.
He said the decision to combine
with the foundation, which
distributes grants funded by
gaming machine revenue, was
headquarters.
And while there has been some
dissent from fans unable to
enter the venue, they at least
have the ability to log on
and watch the premier English
Cup and Reta Fitzpatrick
knockout competitions
plus high school first XI
football as the season draws
to a close.
“The one thing that has
happened is Covid has taught
us all that there’s a whole lot of
made after the second wave of
Covid restrictions were introduced
last month.
Those measures impacted on
semi-finals and finals, which
were held last weekend.
“Clubs make a lot of money
through their bars and that’s
just not available to them,” Smail
said.
“Some of the clubs indicated
it hasn’t been a great year for
them so we contacted Mainland
Foundation and we’re able to
offer a fund for our clubs which
will help them all survive and be
there for next year.”
different ways to communicate,”
said Mainland Football chief
executive Julian Bowden.
“The live streaming thing has
created an opportunity we knew
was there but I’d say (Covid) has
forced our hand slightly.
“It’s huge. We’re getting massive
numbers of people watching
the games in our stream.”
Broadcasting matches on
social media has also provided
an outlet to promote sponsors
who have stuck with the sport
Baby steps to beat
league struggles
through tough times in 2020 via
logo placement and a plug when
development officer Jese Rawlings
is commentating.
“That’ll be something we continue
to do,” Bowden said.
“As we move through to the
national league season it’s got to
the point where all of those will
be live streamed as well.
“It’s not a new thing but the
technology has become a bit
easier and we’re seeing the value
in it now. It’s adding value to our
division one competitions were
combined and Marist Western
Suburbs withdrew from the latter
when play resumed.
“Some of our senior players
give up work on a Saturday
afternoon or morning, they give
up the opportunity to earn some
extra money to play their footy,”
he said.
“Now with employment and
the economy, there’s a change
in thinking now which is totally
understandable of course.
Family comes first.”
Fyfe said New Zealand
Rugby League figures
indicated from the end of
July 2019 to the end of July
2020, player numbers were
down 12 per cent across
the board.
“Year to year we don’t change
a lot, so that’s down to Covid,”
he said.
However, there was a plus
through a slight increase in the
youth participation.
“They play midweek at Nga
Puna Wai so it doesn’t conflict
with other sporting codes they
want to play on the weekend,”
Fyfe said.
“It obviously costs us to be
there, but at least it keeps them
playing rugby league. It would
have been a bigger increase
without Covid.”
Ramping up Mainland Football’s virtual coverage
Julian
Bowden
GRANTS: A relief fund has been set up by the Canterbury
Rugby Football Union that will help clubs.
Thursday September 17 2020 The Star
Duane Fyfe
football community and players
and also our sponsors.”
Meanwhile, a lighting upgrade
is on the wish list to illuminate
the streaming experience, with
a project also including artificial
turf replacement hopefully
signed off within 12 months.
“I played out here when I was
18 and 19. It was dark then and
it’s still dark now. It’s fine to play
in and we’re lucky to have them,
but could it be better,” Bowden
said.
Yacht race hampered by light winds
RICHARD Ineson took out the
Pet Cup for the open division
when the Pleasant Point Yacht
Club opened its 100th season
of sailing on the estuary on
Sunday.
The predicted nor’west wind
never eventuated and the fleet
struggled to complete the race
in very light conditions.
Pleasant Point has a big season
ahead for its 100th, including
the Burnsco 2020 Sunburst
national championships from
January 8-11.
The two person class of
sailing dinghy is popular
nationwide and at least 30 crews
are expected to compete from
CALM: Yachts search for wind during the opening day of
the Pleasant Point Yacht Club.
Auckland to Dunedin.
It will be the first national
championship event sailed on
the estuary for more than 20
years.
The centenary celebrations
will be held over Waitangi
Weekend.
Sailing events include the
Sullivan Cup and Arch Lamb
Trophy and the annual classic
yacht race.
Football club’s 50 years in print
A BOOK documenting the
golden era of Christchurch
United will be released to
coincide with the football club’s
50th anniversary festivities this
weekend.
50 Years United, 1970-2020
revisits the club’s halcyon
days, a span where it claimed
six national leagues titles and
celebrated a half dozen Chatham
Cup triumphs.
The 400-page publication,
by football writer Coen
Lammers, will be unveiled at
a gala dinner tomorrow night
and features interviews with
former players, coaches and
administrators.
It covers some of the greatest
New Zealand names in the
sport, including the late Steve
Sumner and Ryan Nelsen who
captained the All Whites at
the 1982 and 2010 World Cups
respectively.
“We are grateful for all
those legends for sharing their
memories and the families of
those who are no longer with us,
like Steve and iconic coach Terry
Conley, to keep their memories
alive,” Lammers said.
The anniversary was initially
planned for April but was
postponed due to the Covid-19
lockdown and it now coincides
with United’s final match in the
Mainland Premier League on
Saturday.