Selwyn_Times: August 09, 2023

Selwyn Times Wednesday August 9 2023
20
NEWS
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Prebbleton’s road to
the top of club rugby
Prebbleton’s Coleman
Shield win was the icing
on the cake in a season
which saw three of the
club’s other teams claim
titles. Jaime Cunningham
takes a look at their
success
WHEN SIMON Fitzgerald
took up the director of rugby
role at Prebbleton in September
last year, he didn’t expect to be
coaching the club’s top side too.
But the supportive environment
at Prebbleton made him
want to coach again and, 10
months on, he capped off his first
season with the club by leading
the division 1 team to their first
Coleman Shield win since 1974,
beating Waihora 37-3 in the
final.
“But it was
the team all
delivering at a
high level which
allowed me to
scope and manage
this team,”
Simon
Fitzgerald
he said.
He has previously
coached
overseas in
Canada, the United Kingdom
and Netherlands.
“At other (club) teams, I was
doing everything. Honestly, it
has made me continue to want to
coach again.”
Club president Jeromy
Knowler said they always intended
for Fitzgerald to lead the
division 1 side, despite his initial
reluctance.
“We always wanted to have
him as a coach, and he eventually
agreed after a month or two,
and saw he would be the best
option.”
Knowler said their training
runs had been a “switch-up” to
previous years under Fitzgerald’s
expertise.
“He’s bought a lot of change
within the senior group,” he said.
CHAMPIONS: Prebbleton won the Coleman Shield for the first time in 49 years.
PHOTOS: PODIUM PHOTOGRAPHY
“The big thing is that he’s
brought professionalism.
“Video analysis is really broken
down for the players and the
trainings are really specific.”
Prebbleton’s division 1, 2 and
colts sides often trained together
this season, which ultimately
paid off for all teams.
The colts triumphed over
Waihora to take out the Ellesmere
title, while the division 2
side narrowly missed out on the
final after winning nine of their
10 round robin games.
Prebbleton life member and
former division 1 head coach
Derek Todd first introduced the
combined trainings.
Knowler said the decision was
“kind of ruthless at the time” as
players who didn’t necessarily
want to play in the top grade
were training together.
This season the teams also had
shared themes throughout the
year and met for Thursday dinners,
which Fitzgerald said “gave
a good sense of belonging”.
Prebbleton’s women’s team
have had a successful year too,
winning the Metro premier
reserve final against High
School Old Boys before beating
Springston in the Ellesmere final.
Their success trickled down to
the junior ranks too, with new
Canterbury women’s coach Jimmy
Sinclair hosting workshops
for up-and-coming coaches.
Said Fitzgerald: “In amateur
rugby, it’s about increasing participation
and not losing sight of
what we’re here for.”
A large number of players
UNSTOPPABLE: Colts hooker Cassidy Taua is tackled by a Lincoln Bales defender in the
Ellesmere final last week. Right – Prebbleton flanker Saqqara Winter attempts to break
away from Springston’s defence in their 45-14 win.
eligible for colts were playing
for the division 1 side this year,
which Fitzgerald said will be
integral for the club’s future.
“People said I was handing out
(debut) ties like confetti.
“They’ve had a taste of success
as well this year, which is really
positive.”
Colts players had the opportunity
to feature in higher
grades largely due to Prebbleton’s
combined senior trainings.
“The players really enjoyed
training as a bigger group and
everyone felt like that had an
equal opportunity,” Fitzgerald
said.
Knowler said their success had
been bubbling away for the last
few years, with Prebbleton being
beaten in both the 2021 and 2022
Coleman Shield finals.
“I’m really proud of the last
three years, we’ve been really
competitive and showing signs of
promise,” he said.
“I remember about 10 years
ago, we had no senior teams in
semi-finals.
“But this year, as the season
went on, we saw the depth. And
to win the Coleman Shield was
pretty emotional.”
Fitzgerald said drawing in new
young players is important for
the future of the club.
“We’ve all got a shared vision
on making it a welcoming place,”
he said.
“We’re not going to just focus
on winning more titles, we need
to remember what we’re about.”
Prebbleton senior results
•Division 1 (won Ellesmere,
finalist in Combined): 15
wins, 2 losses.
•Division 2 (semi-finalists in
Ellesmere): 10 wins, 2 losses.
•Division 3 (finalist in
Ellesmere): 8 wins, 2 losses.
•Colts (won Ellesmere,
finalist in Combined): 13
wins, 1 loss.
Women (Won Ellesmere,
won Metro premier reserve):
10 wins, 1 loss.
Lincoln hires new development officer
• By Jaime Cunningham
INTRODUCING highperformance
pathways and
growing Lincoln’s huge player
potential.
Those are two of the key
planks Lincoln rugby’s new
development officer Grant
Dearns’ aims to implement
at the club when he starts in
November.
Lincoln are the fourth club
in Ellesmere to employ a rugby
development officer, joining
Prebbleton, Southbridge and
West Melton.
Dearns’ main tasks will
surround the retention and
recruitment of players and
coaches. Lincoln were forced
to merge their division 1 side
with Rolleston
this season after
failing to field
an independent
team.
But Dearns is
excited by the
Grant
challenge and has
plenty of ideas to
put into practice.
Dearns
“It will be about putting some
processes in place when I start,”
he said.
“Recruiting kids from inside
and outside Christchurch is the
goal, as a lot of kids come down
to Canterbury and Lincoln
Universities.”
Dearns, currently the rugby
development officer of Pōneke
in Wellington, said a large
motivation to move was to be
closer to his wife, Tanya, a
former Silver Fern who is Mid
Canterbury Rugby Union chief
executive.
Although Dearns knows a
“little bit” about Ellesmere rugby,
he will be focused on using his
connections around Canterbury
to make Lincoln an appealing
destination for new players and
coaches.
“I’m really impressed with
what I’ve seen at Lincoln, it’s all
about the people,” he said.
“The junior club is hellishly
strong, there’s so many kids
playing there.
“And my job will be to make
sure there is a good stream of
players continually coming
through.”
Former Lincoln-Rolleston
Combined coach Bevan Sisson
said at this stage he does not plan
to coach Lincoln next season.
Dearns said he would also not
be coaching a team next season
either.
With experience in strength
and conditioning in the
professional game, Dearns aims
to introduce high-performance
pathways for both players and
coaches.
“I’m a bit of a one-trick-pony,
but clubs need to give an insight
into high-performance,” Dearns
said.
“At Pōneke, I’ve introduced
GPS, video analysis and stats.
That stuff is really important,
and it just exposes coaches and
players to it.
“A big thing for me is to show
a pathway for players, whatever
that may be.”