Welcome
The Burnside Rugby
Football Club is proud to provide you with this introduction newsletter, specifically
prepared for newcomers to the Canterbury
area, and school leavers looking to play rugby at a club level in 2012.
Situated in the
northwest area of Christchurch, in very close
proximity to the University
of Canterbury and other
tertiary training institutions such as the Christchurch College of Education,
the Burnside RFC celebrated its 50th birthday in the year 2007.
Burnside RFC is a
most innovative and progressive club, catering for all rugby players, including
aspiring All Blacks, genuine club rugby players, social players and of course our
women players. In the summer season, the Burnside RFC operates a most enjoyable
and successful Touch on the Park module, over 180 teams participate over two
nights.
The Burnside RFC
has set some firm strategic goals for 2012 and key amongst these is the resolve
to further develop its player base at Colts and Womens level. We believe that only
by achieving this, will we be able to maintain the momentum created by our very
successful Division 1, Division 2 and Division 3 teams over recent seasons, and
more recently our Colts Premier and Colts u20 sides..
We look forward to
meeting you and discussing your future with Burnside RFC.
Kind Regards,
Greg Clapp
President,
Burnside RFC
Head Coach
The role of the
Head Coach is to lead and manage the implementation of the Burnside RFC open
grade team coaching and player development programme. The Head Coach will work
in close liaison with the Rugby Manager and the Coaching Advisory Group. The
principle role will be that of governor of coaching strategy and implementation
across the greater Div 1-2-Colts squads.
Burnside RFC Team and Player Support & Development
The Burnside RFC
engage the services of professional organizations and individuals to provide
support to our players and teams. The club is committed to the continued
development of these services, they include:
- The Burnside RFC enjoys a very important
and beneficial relationship with Matt Everest and his team at Russley Physio.
Matt provides a full physiotherapy, injury rehabilitation and professional
advice service to club members.
- The Burnside RFC has the support of the very highly regarded sports
conditioning and strength coach, Andrew MacLennan. Andrew is a past Burnside senior
Division 1 player. Andrew has been involved in elite level sports performance
for many years, including Crusaders, Canterbury NPC and Lincoln
University Sports Scholarship programmes. Andrew will again work with Burnside squads in 2010 and provide expert
advice on both an individual and squad basis. For information you can visit www.getfastandstrong.com
- GSM is a leading international sports management and
marketing company. They have an experienced and skilled team handling athlete representation,
sponsorship, rights and event
management. Burnside RFC has
established a strategic relationship with Warren Alcock and Lou Thompson of
GSM. They visit us regularly and act for
a number of our elite players.
- Burnside RFC has established a strong relationship
with Fitness Canterbury, a leading commercial gymnasium in Wairakei Rd, just 2kms from Burnside Park. The Club has negotiated a special
rate for Burnside RFC players working out at Fitness Canterbury and communicates
regularly with the personal
trainers involved.
CLUB
HISTORY
The Burnside Rugby Football Club was formed
at a meeting of enthusiastic locals at Fendalton Community Hall on 28th
August 1957.
Soon after the Inaugural Annual General
Meeting was held on 19th September 1957.
The club colours were to be red and white
jerseys, black shorts and red and white hoop socks. The club applied to the
Canterbury Rugby Football Union for Fendalton
Park to be the home
ground.
At its First Annual General Meeting on 11th
March 1958 the CRFU made the offer, which was accepted, of Burnside Park
as the home ground for the club. The Burnside RFC entered nine teams in CRFU
competitions in 1958, with the top team being the 4th grade side. A
further offer of two grounds at Jellie
Park was also later
accepted.
By 1960 the clubs highest team was Second
Grade and by the end of the season lights for one ground at Jellie Park
had been installed at a cost of one hundred and eleven pounds, the CRFU met
half the cost. Prior to that night training had been conducted under the street
lighting from Memorial Avenue.
A building fund was started in 1961 and by
1964 it was decided to consolidate activities at Burnside Park
and apply real energy to the clubrooms project. In June 166 the club became an
Incorporated Society and its constitution registered with Internal Affairs
Department.
1967 was a memorable year. Paul Mc Kay
became the first Burnside player to achieve representative honours in the
senior open grade. He was also selected for New Zealand Colts in the same year.
Work began on the clubrooms in February
1970 and the official opening of the building was held on Saturday 3rd
October 1971. That season 32 teams were entered by the Club, twenty two of them
in the school –age grades. Lighting facilities had been installed at Burnside Park and on 2nd May 1973
Burnside RFC had achieved its first win in senior grade competition, beating Sydenham,
21-10.
1975 saw the price of a jug increase to
50c, this at a time when thirty nine teams played under the Burnside banner,
making it the largest in the South Island.
The highlight of the 1977 season was the
Senior Team being holders with Albion of the
DCL Shield. After only five seasons the Senior Competition this was a
significant result and club set its sights on the CSB Trophy.
New Club extensions were opened in 1982.
Special thanks to Len Hanser, who since his retirement from the Ministry of
Agriculture and Fisheries had worked nearly full time at the clubrooms. Len was
made a Life Member in 1988 and in 2002 the Len Hanser Room was named in his
honour.
The 25th Jubilee celebrations
were held over the weekend of 20-21st August 1982.
The 50th Jubilee Celebrations were
held in 2007, Queens Birthday weekend, and in the 25 years from 1982 a number
of outstanding Club milestones have been achieved. These include:
Metropolitan
Club Division One Champions
- 1992-1993- 2006
Metropolitan
Club Colts Champions – 1993, 1998, 2004
Metropolitan
Club Telecom Plate Winners – 2002, 2004
All
Blacks: Shayne Philpott 1988-90-91
Jon Preston 1991-93, 96-97
Scott Robertson 1998-99
Leon Macdonald 2000-01-02-03-05-06-07-08
Caleb Ralph 2001-02-03
Brad Thorn 2003-09
Wyatt Crocket 2009
CLUB FACILITIES AND
FUNCTIONS
The Burnside RFC is
extremely proud of its high quality facilities which include a meeting room,
Len Hanser Room, Spriggs Bar and Café and the upstairs Ivan Milner Lounge.
The Club conducts
weekly after match functions throughout the rugby season. All teams are
expected to attend at the time of the presentations. These include a Player of
the Day for each team, “Team of the
Week” and individual recognitions as they occur.
Large screen and
SKY facilities provide high quality coverage of Super 14, Tests matches and
other sports events.
Spriggs Bar & Café Ivan
Milner Lounge
Powa Hydraulic Scrum Machine
In 2002 the
Burnside RFC invested in a Powa Hydraulic Scrum machine, similar to those used
throughout the professional rugby world. The machine is housed in the new
extension which also includes a St
Johns/ Physio room and training equipment room.
The Burnside RFC
remains committed to strong player development programmes with many of the Div
1, Div 2 and Colts games being recorded on video. The immediate intention is to
upgrade this facility using the latest rugby analysis systems.
Burnside Claims Top Honours
Across Grades in 2008-09
The Burnside RFC
has been a regular recipient of the two
prestigious awards for Club rugby in the
Christchurch Metropolitan Competitions.
F T Evans Shield
The F T Evans
Shield is awarded to the Club that records the highest number of championship
points across all grades in the Christchurch Metropolitan competitions.
Burnside have won
the Evans Shield in the previous years of
1974-75-76-77-1980-84-85-87-88-89-91-91-94-97-98-99-2000-2002-2003-2005-2006-2007-2008.
Rodney Redpath Shield
The Rodney Redpath
Shield is awarded to the Club recording the highest number of Championship
points in all Junior Advisory Grades – ie U18 and below. Burnside have won the
Redpath Shield in the previous years of 1966-
67-74-75-76-77-78-79-1980-86-88-1996-97-98-99-2000-2001-02-03-08-2009.
Best In The West
Burnside Values
·
enjoyable sporting and social activity
·
serving the best interests of the greater northwest
area of Christchurch
·
serving the best interests of the development of
players and coaches
·
a love of rugby and other sports activities
·
cabbage tree - red and white
·
adherence to fair play
·
strong club loyalty
·
pride in individual and club achievement
·
recognition and commitment to the amateur values of
the game at club level