Rep Teams
WEST OVERWHELM EAST IN NGĀ PUNA WAI REP CLASH
West reclaimed crosstown supremacy with a 32-20 victory over East in a physical encounter laced with sparkling tries at Ngā Puna Wai. The victory was just West’s second in the fixture – but their second in three seasons since its return to the Canterbury Rugby League calendar. Several candidates from both teams put their hands…
Read MoreEAST V WEST A CRUCIAL STEPPING STONE FOR CANTERBURY WOMEN
Canterbury women’s coach Mike Linton sees Saturday’s historic East v West women’s fixture as a vital component of the upcoming NZRL National Tournament campaign – and for developing the women’s game as a whole in the region. A North v South women’s match was played in 2017 – the same year the East v West…
Read MorePRIDE AND BULLS JERSEYS ON THE LINE WHEN EAST MEETS WEST
Crosstown pride goes on the line when East squares off against West in the seventh edition of the representative fixture – and third since its reinstatement to the Canterbury Rugby League calendar – at Ngā Puna Wai. The East side – mentored by Eagles coach Eddie Timo-Latu – draw their players from the Linwood, Celebration,…
Read MoreCRL LEGEND SERIES NO.7: QUENTIN PONGIA
The rugby league world is mourning the loss of Quentin Pongia, who passed away on Saturday after a brave battle with bowel cancer. He was just 48. Originally from the West Coast, before embarking on a career that saw him become a revered and popular figure in Canterbury, for professional clubs Canberra, the Warriors, Sydney…
Read MoreCRL LEGEND SERIES NO.7: JOHN BOND
Kiwi #351 John Bond was born in Kaiapoi to the north of Christchurch, moving a few miles closer to town to Redwood with his family when he was eight years old. Now 87, the former Papanui, Marist, Kaiapoi, Canterbury, South Island and New Zealand prop/second-rower has lived in the suburb ever since. Bond’s rugby league…
Read MoreLONG-SERVING MANAGER MEL MATHER STEPS DOWN FROM ROCKCOTE BULLS POST
The Rockcote Canterbury Bulls’ clash with the Warriors’ ISP team at Ngā Puna Wai on February 23 heralded a new era for rugby league in the region. But it also signalled the end of an era for the Bulls, with long-serving manager Mel Mather stepping down from the role following the historic match. “My day…
Read MoreCHRISTCHURCH TO HOST INTERNATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE DOUBLE-HEADER
Via NZRL New Zealand is set to get a massive injection of international rugby league matches in 2019, with the Great Britain Rugby League Lions tour of New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, and the inaugural Oceania Cup getting the green light. The first match of the Oceania Cup has the New Zealand Kiwis going…
Read MoreWARRIORS OUTLAST ROCKCOTE BULLS IN NGĀ PUNA WAI TRY-FEST
Canterbury Rugby League entered a new era on Saturday courtesy of the first matches played at the code’s new home, Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub. Blazing sunshine – rather than the forecast rain – greeted the crowd, which pushed towards the 1,000 mark. The opening encounter was a women’s trial requested by the Warriors’ NRLW…
Read MoreFLASHBACK FRIDAY: WARRIORS AND CANTERBURY PLAY TO PACKED SHOW GROUNDS
Ahead of tomorrow’s historic Ngā Puna Wai opener, our first Flashback Friday of 2019 relives a landmark Christchurch encounter between the Canterbury provincial team and the fledgling Auckland Warriors. The Warriors InTrust Super Premiership team’s clash with the Rockcote Cantebury Bulls sees the club come full circle as it heads into its 25th season –…
Read MoreNZ RESIDENTS 16s AND 18s WIDER SQUADS ANNOUNCED
Via NZRL After a highly successful Talent Development Programme held in Cambridge last month, New Zealand Rugby League wishes to announce and congratulate those players who have been selected in the New Zealand Resident 16s and 18s, 26-man squads. 80 of the best 16s and 18s players in the country were put through their paces…
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