Otago Rugby Union eNewsletter

Editorial

Good afternoon Otago supporters & welcome to our weekly newsletter

It's almost D day! Season Memberships will go on sale Monday 21 June at 10.30am. Membership forms can be located on our website here. This year we are super excited to offer a Season Membership & Test ticket option for the All Blacks vs Springboks Test Match on 25 September. This will only be available to those who lock in their memberships by Thursday 1 July 2021 so get in quick!!!

This week we also announced a new ticketing initiative titled “For the love of Club” (FTLOC). FTLOC will be introduced for the 2021 National Provincial Competition (NPC) & Farah Palmer Cup (FPC) seasons. The aim of the initiative is to return money directly to Clubs and Referees within the Otago province through allocating funds from every ticket sold online to an Otago NPC/FPC home game. Read more on this below.

Otago Rugby Football Union is excited to announce Jermaine Ainsley (tighthead prop), Matt Faddes (outside back) and Will Tucker (lock) have signed to play for the Otago Team in the Bunnings NPC for 2021. All three players have signed 1-year contracts. Scroll down for more on this...

Speights cap quiz - Who doesn't rate a Speights cap Quiz? This fundraiser is being hosted by the Eastern RFC this Saturday 19th Jun 6:30pm. This is for a great cause, our referees are a vital part of our game and they need as much support as they can get. The Super Rugby final will be on the TV and the quiz questions will be asked pre-game, half time and post-game! Get amongst it!

The first Otago Country Premier Training Squad for the upcoming 2021 Programme was announced this week. The first training will be held at the Alexandra Rugby Club on Sunday 20 June at 11.30am. A further training will be held on Sunday 11 July. This is an extended training squad and is by no means the final cut. Head Coach, Paul Tait and Assistant Coach, Damian Petre will still be watching club matches until the end of the regular season and should there be injuries and unavailability, changes will be made to bring in extra cover as required. We encourage all players to keep striving for selection. Check out the boys named below.

Great news for our Otago Spirit girls and for the female players in the FPC competition overall! "For the first time in the history of the Farah Palmer Cup (FPC) presented by Bunnings Warehouse, all matches are to be broadcast live and available to SKY Sport customers for the 2021 season. In addition, every week a Bunnings Warehouse FPC match and NPC match will be available Free to Air." we love this win for our girls!!!

Our Website has had a makeover and we couldn't be happier about it! Go check it out for yourself, for all things Otago Rugby click here.

Interesting Reads from Otago Daily Times:

The aim of the initiative is to return money directly to Clubs and Referees within the Otago province through allocating funds from every ticket sold online to an Otago NPC/FPC home game. People who purchase online either an Otago Rugby Season Membership or a Match Day ticket will be able to nominate which of Otago’s 33 Clubs or Otago Rugby Referees Association (ORRA) they wish to support.

Clubs and Referees play a vitally important role in supporting grassroots rugby across the province and the ORFU is confident that this initiative will see funds going directly back to these groups, while also attracting more people to home games at Forsyth Barr Stadium who will know that they are supporting Otago NPC/FPC teams as well as the community game.

“This is Otago Rugby’s version of crowdfunding for its clubs and referees” said ORFU General Manager, Richard Kinley. “For fans, this is something we hope they very much get in behind and get a kick out of, supporting both club and province simply by attending a game of Rugby.”

“This is a fantastic opportunity for all rugby fans, for more information on how to support your clubs and referees this NPC/FPC season, simply visit the ORFU website for step by step instructions” Kinley adds.
Financial modelling indicates that this initiative will return between $30,000 and $50,000 back to the grassroots level of the game, namely the Clubs and Referees within the Otago Province. Click here

The ORFU believe that this is the first time that this type of initiative has been implemented across the Provincial Unions in New Zealand.

2021 Season Memberships are available this Friday 21st June.

Individual Ticket Portal goes LIVE on Monday 28th June.

Central Match of the Round - Cromwell Goats vs Arrowtown Bulls

The feature match this week has to be the Goats v Bulls at Cromwell. The two best performed sides over the last couple of seasons go head to head with the winner, getting a ticket to a home semi. The White Horse Cup is on the line for the last time this season, just to add extra tension to the occasion.

The Cromwell Goats have home advantage but eight season ending injuries have tested the depth of this Champion side. On the other hand the Arrowtown Bulls are at full strength and relishing the opportunity to not only win but lock the White Horse Cup away for the season.

The Goats have been working on their set piece as well as their finishing. They like to play the game at pace and move the ball around. The inside pairing of Ben Maxwell and Reece Harold will be instrumental in implementing their game plan.

For the Bulls it's about holding onto the ball for long periods of time and building a strong platform from which to launch. But as coach Daniel Eyles says, to beat the defending champions at home, they have to win every aspect of the game.

Metro Match of the Round - Harbour vs Alhambra Union

Harbour’s favourite son returns after a stellar 2020 season that saw him play his hundredth club match and make his Otago NPC debut. The Hawks faithful will be pleased to see the return of Charles Elton off the bench for the first time this season after recovering from a leg injury. He’ll boost an already formidable forward pack with Taylor Dale, Sione Misiloi and the two Pole props upfront setting a perfect platform for the flashy guys out wide. The Broncos are now playing desperate footy each weekend so will be hungry, they showed two weeks ago vs Dunedin they’ll fight to the end and this weekend will be no different. Conditions may play a part as the AU backline of Emery, McCarthy and Tapueluelu create all their momentum so hopefully they can get into their work without limitation. The two teams will contest the Ricoh Ross Godman Memorial so there will be more than just Top6 ramifications up for grabs.

Women's Final

Pirates Wahine vs University Bookworms

The final clash for the 2021 Women's club comp will come to a head this Saturday. The Pirates Wahine will be excited to host the University Bookworms at Hancock park. The clash will take place at prime footy time, kicking off at 1.30pm. There is a strong rivalry between these two teams as they have faced each other in the final many times in the last few years

Pirates Wahine successfully got up over Big River Country 38-32 in their semi-final clash to secure their spot. The other semi-final was all tied up 15-15 until University's hooker Amber-Jane Mckenzie got an amazing interception in the 78th minute to give University the win over Alhambra-Union.

Pirates Wahine have had a great season. They have a very strong side this year with a lot of experience across the park. Pirates will be hungry to get the win and put an end to the University winning streak. Last time these two sides clashed Pirates had a very comfortable win over the visitors. This will give them a lot of confidence heading into the final. The unstoppable trio of Victoria Subritzky-Nafatali, Sheree Hume and Kilisitina Moata'ane will be back on the park on Saturday. Gemma Miller has been a standout for the Wahine this year with her excellent work rate and mobility around the field. The Wahine have had an amazing off load game this season constantly creating opportunities for themselves. The Flatmates Judaea Newton-Te Riini and Jordyn Tereu have been a solid 8, 9 combination for the side this season and will be great again on Saturday! Judaea has been a very strong defender for the side this year.

University Bookworms have been in the finals every year since 2013. They have won the final the last 3 years and will be looking to get the 4 peat. The young University side will be looking forward to the opportunity to defend their title. The young side has had a good season. They haven't beaten the Pirates Wahine this year so are going in as the underdogs, although in finals footy anything can happen. The Bookworms will be going into the final without midfielder Hinemoa Watene due to injury. Loose forward Bree Thomas and Leah Miles have been stand out players for the University side this year. Both bring massive physicality and pace to the game. Rebecca Wairau has been great in 2021 adding eminent power to the University forward pack week after week. University has pace on their side, all year they have been great at stretching opposition all over the park.

Round 11 Snapshot

Roxburgh vs Owaka

This shapes up to be a fantastic encounter as both sides have experienced different types of form. Roxburgh finally chalked up their first win last week over Clinton which gives them a small glimmer of hope to overtake Clinton and escape the dreaded ninth spot come the end of the second round. Owaka were taught a lesson in intensity and ball security by Crescent last weekend and will be hurting. The bus trip to Roxburgh takes a lot out of the travelling team, but Owaka have won there once before this season already.

West Taieri vs Crescent

West Taieri are back at home after their second consecutive loss to Clutha Valley this season. Valley were far too clinical at home and showed they will be hard to beat. West Taieri are in second by a singular point with Clutha snapping at their tails. Crescent were impressive in their win over Owaka and will pose a tough threat on the road. The men from Kai have wormed their way back into the top four conversation and need to get points from this match. West Taieri will be hard to beat at home.

Clutha vs Clinton

The Helen Huddleston/George McKenzie Memorial trophy is on the line at Clutha as the resurgent Steamers host Clinton who are still languishing in the depths of the table. Clutha showed ticker in their 80-minute performance against Heriot, scoring in the final stages of the match to take a bonus point win. Clutha sit one point behind West Taieri in third and will be odds on favourites to take the five points. Clinton lost to Roxburgh last weekend and will need to step up to prevent a whitewash.

Heriot vs Toko

Heriot’s loss to Clutha last weekend puts them in a precarious position in the top four. With Crescent vastly improving over the recent weeks, Heriot need to gain maximum points in this match as the two meet next week in a very important fixture. Toko are struggling for numbers due to injuries, especially in the pack which isn’t ideal as Heriot will target them there for sure. The home side are strong favourites to wrap up a bonus point win.

What Does a Great Practice Look Like?

I can honestly say I have yet to nail the perfect practice.

I have coached a couple of great sessions, plenty of good and in hindsight, quite a few I’m a bit embarrassed about.

Coaching is a journey towards excellence.

Like most domains in life once you think you know it all, it’s probably time to give up. A sure sign your ego is getting the better of you. It’s not about being perfect but instead getting better.

So how do we get better as a coach?

Having some sort of review process is a big step in the right direction. At the end of each session you could ask yourself a couple of key questions.

What went well?
What would I change if I could do the session again?

These two simple questions will help build your toolbox of knowledge going forward. I am going to keep that drill, game or coaching cue because it took us towards our goal. The second question will give you a work on or two for your next session.

Here are a couple of ideas of what to consider when asking these two questions.

What does a great session look and sound like?

There should be plenty of time on task for the players. No long lines on cones and minimal instructions given from the coach.
Practice should look like the game. You always want to pair attackers with defenders. Manipulate field size, team numbers and rules, depending on the focus for the session. The further away from the game the drill looks the less transfer there will be to game day.
Players should be being stretched. We need to find that sweet spot whereby players are not taken too far out of their comfort zone and go into survival mode (where no learning occurs) or where it is too easy (and they get bored, and no learning occurs). We need to meet our players where they need to be met.
There should be plenty of opportunities to make decisions. (FYI coaches, that means by themselves not with your guidance as they go through drills or games).
It should look like players are enjoying themselves.

Nail these five things and you’re a long way down the line of putting a great session together.

Add in

A strong intro with clearly defined goals and expectations for the session, this should be driven by a collaborative process between players and coaches.
Simple comms and cues that connect with players throughout the session.
With the icing on the cake being targeted questions to check for learning and understanding.

If you really want to be bold, you could ask your players to give you a score out of ten midway or at the end of the session. Initially I suspect many players will not give an answer, our players have become so used to being told what to do this autonomy can sometimes be a challenge.

If they give a score of 7 ask why it was not a 6, this will give you the things that worked well. Then ask what it would take to get it to an 8. This will give areas to focus on for next session.

Coaching is part science part art. We tend to think very black and white. There is a right way and a wrong. My honest opinion is I suspect there is a lot of grey.

Try something, reflect, tweak as needed and enjoy the process.

Let me know if there are any specific questions you’d like answered on the coaching front at aaron.callaghan@orfu.co.nz

Keep up the great work!!!

Cheers, Azza

We welcome back two locally grown heroes. Ainsley, originally from Cromwell attended Otago Boys High School in Dunedin while Faddes, originally from Balclutha, is a proud product of South Otago High School.

Faddes represented Otago from 2011-2019. His last game was the Ranfurly Shield Challenge, Otago vs Thames Valley in Wanaka, 13 July 2019. This match was also Faddes’ 50th Game for Otago.

Otago Coach Tom Donnelly said: “We are confident that Matt will slot back into the team nicely given the number of First Class seasons he has under his belt. He is a great team player and will be an asset on and off the field. We look forward to seeing how his overseas rugby experience in Ireland has hopefully benefited his game”.

Ainsley represented Otago Metro U16 in 2011. Donnelly said “We are stoked to see him back representing the Union and the Golden O after all these years. He is a world class tight head that has played international rugby. It will be exciting to see a son of a former Otago player getting the opportunity to play for Otago as well”.

Ainsley is still recovering from a high ankle injury that he endured during his Super Rugby season with the Highlanders earlier this year. He is tracking well and should become available in the first few rounds.

We also welcome back Tucker who was first signed to the Otago squad in 2020. Donnelly said “He had a solid season last year and we are happy to see him back in the blue and gold. He is a young player that is starting to fill in early potential on the rugby field”.

All three players have affiliations to local clubs, Ainsley – Alhambra-Union RFC, Faddes – Otago University RFC and Tucker – Kaikorai RFC.

The Otago Rugby Union is acting as an ambassador for Veo. We are using the camera's for developing our representative players and match officials as well as allowing our clubs and schools to borrow the camera's. If a club or a school likes the camera, they can then contact Veo direct and make a purchase of the hardware and a monthly licence to use their software. As a partnership, the Otago Rugby Union receives a small fee, and the club or school receives a discount on the recommended retail price.

For more information about Veo and their camera, click here.

Or, if you would like to book a call from the Veo experts, click here.

HOW DOES MY CLUB OR SCHOOL BOOK A CAMERA?

Email Paul Thompson: paul.thompson@orfu.co.nz

Match Day Programme - Metro, Central & Southern Region

Secondary Schools First XV Match Day Programme

2021 Otago Country Premier Team Squad Announced