Archive for March 2017

Rolleston has long been synonymous with its roadside sign: ‘The town of the future.’ But the Selwyn district satellite town gets a blast from the past this weekend when the Rolleston Warriors junior teams make their debuts – the first time a rugby league based in Rolleston has competed since the 1990s. In 2017, the…

Papanui broke a 17-year premiership drought under coach Shane Endacott in 2015, edging Linwood in an epic extra-time grand final. But the Tigers fell a couple of notches short of those achievements last year in defending their title, finishing fourth before going down to Hornby in the preliminary final. Endacott emphasised the challenges of backing…

After two straight wooden spoons and a winless 2015 campaign, Northern Bulldogs’ resurgence was the feelgood story of last year’s CRL premiership. They went unbeaten through the first month of the competition, before injuries and a lack of depth caught up with first-year coach Te Hira Niha’s side. A top-four berth could well have been…

After dominating the CRL premiership at the start of the decade, it’s been a lean trot for Halswell Hornets in the past two seasons. The Hornets topped the table in four straight seasons from 2011-14, reaching the grand final in all four years and taking out titles in 2011 and ’14. But the two subsequent…

Aranui Eagles are aiming for a return to the top four for the first time since 2012 – and coach Christian Swift will be relying on the players he blooded during a promising 2016 campaign to break the finals drought. The Eagles have lost key trio Kahi Tipene, who was the side’s top try-scorer last…

Hornby Panthers, Canterbury Rugby League’s most prolific club with 27 titles, come into 2017 on the back of a convincing grand final loss at the hands of Linwood Keas last season. But while the pain of that defeat will help spur the Panthers on this year, it’s the success ingrained in the club’s DNA that…

The Riccarton Knights haven’t appeared in a grand final since Brent Ringdahl and Aaron Whittaker led them to the 2004 title, but the club has been a model of consistency in recent times. After three straight seasons qualifying for the top four, however, the Knights face a difficult task retaining their lofty standing in 2017…

A high turnover of experienced players has seen Celebration Lions slide down the ladder in recent years. The 2014 grand finalists landed in fifth the following season, while the departure of Canterbury Bulls prop Chris Bamford, along with sabbaticals taken by the likes of Kyle Leka, Abraham Fonomoa and Francis Tuiletufuga, saw the Lions finish…

After surging to CRL grand final glory last year, Linwood Keas are aiming to become the first club since Hornby in 2012-13 to win back-to-back titles. But Keas coach Andrew Auimatagi says that although taking out this year’s crown will be more difficult than last season’s success, motivation won’t be a problem for his side.…

Each week we’ll be keeping you up to date with how our Canterbury Rugby League products are performing in Australia’s elite and lower-grade competitions. Here’s how they went in Round 4: NRL Manly utility Lewis Brown played 18 minutes off the bench in the Sea Eagles’ 36-0 demolition of Canterbury on Saturday, slotting in at dummy-half and…