The Star: March 23, 2023

Ferrymead Bays v Coastal
Spirit, 7.15pm, Friday,
Ferrymead Park
Both Ferrymead Bays and
Coastal Spirit have retained the
bulk of their squads from last
year. Robbie Stanton returns
as head coach of Coastal Spirit
for the first time since 2009.
Stanton, who takes over from
Jose Matiz, will want to improve
on Coastal’s sixth-place finish
last season, which included
seven draws. Englishman Danny
Boys will boost Ferrymead Bays’
playing stocks this season. The
former Cashmere Technical
player will join a strong
Ferrymead squad coached by
Alan Walker. They will also
be looking to improve on their
fifth-place finish last season.
Last result: Ferrymead Bays
2-1
•Selwyn United v
Nelson Suburbs, 11.30am,
Saturday, Foster Park
Selwyn United came close
to being relegated to the men’s
premiership competition last
season after just two wins.
Playing at Foster Park will be
integral to the side’s confidence.
Both of their wins were on home
turf last season. Selwyn and
Nelson last faced each other
in their final match last year,
when Selwyn narrowly lost 3-2.
With the bulk of Selwyn’s squad
retained this year, they will be
looking for consistency, starting
with a win at home this week.
Last result: Nelson Suburbs
3-2
•Dunedin City Royals v
Nomads United, noon,
Saturday, Logan Park,
Dunedin
Nomads will travel to
Dunedin with Matt Jansen
leading the side for the first time.
Jansen is the club’s director of
football and was previously an
assistant coach under former
head coach Andy Pitman.
Nomads have lost young
goalkeeper Dublin Boon who
moved to England. The Tulett
Park-based side will be looking
to kick their campaign off with
their first win over the Dunedin
side in the Southern Football
League. Nomads managed to
get one win and two draws away
from home last year and, with
a large number of their 2022
squad returning, it should be a
tight match in Dunedin.
Last result: Dunedin City
Royals 4-2
•Christchurch United
v Green Island, 1.30pm,
Saturday, United Sports
Centre
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
What does the season
hold for Canty clubs?
The return of the Southern Football League this weekend will see the South Island’s top 10 teams fighting for
one of two coveted places in the National League. Jaime Cunningham looks at how the Canterbury sides will fare
in the first round
Title-holders Christchurch
United are favourites to go backto-back
this season. The squad
will want to redeem themselves
after finishing ninth in the
National League, despite losing
just one game in the Southern
Football League. However, the
team will be without winger
Eddie Wilkinson who has
moved to the Eastern Lions in
Melbourne to play in the third
tier of Australian football.
Wilkinson was a standout
player last year, netting 19
goals in the Southern Football
League and three in the national
competition. Dunedin club
Green Island will be looking for
their first win away from home
in the competition. But to get it
against Christchurch United on
their Yaldhurst Rd turf will be a
tough ask.
Last result: Christchurch
United 9-1
•FC Twenty 11 v
Cashmere Technical,
2.45pm, Saturday,
Avonhead Park
Newly-promoted FC Twenty
11 face a challenging start to
the season against Cashmere
Technical who finished sixth in
the National League last year.
It will be FC Twenty 11’s first
season in the Southern Football
League. Although Cashmere
Technical have retained a
majority of last year’s squad,
Kian Donkers has left the side
for the Netherlands. Both teams
will be led by new head coaches
this year. Harry Trethwan
will be in charge of Cashmere
Technical, while FC Twenty 11
have Tseto Cvetan at the helm as
head coach.
Last result: These two
teams have never played each
other in the Southern Football
League.
SPORT 29
• By Barry Clarke
DEPARTED: Christchurch United will be without Eddie Wilkinson who netted 19 goals
in the league last season. Right – Former Cashmere Technical player Danny Boys has
moved to Ferrymead Bays. Malcolm
Humm
Thursday March 23 2023 The Star
Tigers fail
to field
premier
team
ONE OF club rugby league’s
former powerhouses will be
missing when the Canterbury
premiership starts this weekend.
Papanui Tigers won’t be fielding
a team after struggling for player
numbers last year, which led to
huge defeats. Celebration has also
dropped out of a new-look sixteam
premiership which starts on
Saturday.
Canterbury Rugby League chief
executive Malcolm Humm said it
would be a rebuilding season for
Papanui, which will field a side
in the premier
reserve grade.
He said new
players have
come on board
at the Tigers, but
competing against
premier grade
sides was too big
an ask this season.
Humm was
confident the club
has a future, with new administrators
and a focus on building its
youth grades. Papanui will field
teams in the 14, 16 and 18 age
group competitions.
“They are starting to build up
their youth grades. They are driving
that hard,” he said.
The reformatted premiership
will see a promotion/relegation
component introduced this season,
opening the door for Papanui to
get back to the top grade next year,
said Humm.
Concerns over the depth of
teams across senior grades had
prompted a major review.
•In the opening round on
Saturday (all games 2.45pm),
the Halswell Hornets meet
Hornby (Halswell Domain),
Linwood Keas v Eastern Eagles
(Wainoni Park), Northern
Bulldogs v Riccarton Knights
(Murphy Park, Kaiapoi).
CANTERBURY
BROUGHT YOU BY
SPORTS CORNER
WITH NEW ZEALAND WOMEN’S CRICKETER
FRANKIE MACKAY SATURDAY 7– 8AM