TeamTalk 37
Thursday, 10 December 2009 20:44
TeamTalk #37
For the Trivia Fan
Who scored two tries for Wellington in the victorious 2000 NPC final?
WRFU Website
Our website is the hub for rugby information in the Wellington region, and has been re-launched with a facelift. We’re using the same address www.wrfu.co.nz, and have incorporated existing elements from the original site, but, it has a simplified ‘look and feel’ which will make it easier for you to navigate. There’ll be lots of new features and content which we will continue to up-date over the next couple of months.
Some of the key new features are:
· A calendar listing up-coming Wellington Rugby events
· Rotating news banner graphics
· A news filter
· Quick links to the most used pages
· A Wellington sports ground directory which includes maps
· An easy to use ‘draws and fixtures’ page
· An interactive “find your club” map
· New layouts and descriptions for all your rugby forms and documents
· New Representative Rugby content including team information, fixtures and results.
We will continue to develop the website to make it easier to use so feel free to email any comments you have to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Club Forum and RWC 2011
An interesting and full evening was held with clubs exploring the opportunities that could be available at RWC 2011. The information provided by the speakers assisted with understanding of the scope and magnitude that RWC 2011 will have in our region leading into, during, and beyond the tournament. There is still much to do to ensure we give ourselves every opportunity to leverage off the event.
Presentations and notes from the Club Forum will be available soon on our revamped website at www.wrfu.co.nz .
Te Upoko o te Ika Wellington Maori Rugby
Their AGM was held on Sunday 22 November at the Johnsonville Rugby clubrooms. The first task is preparation for the “Te Tini a Maui” (Hurricanes Region) Tournament in Palmerston North on the Friday/Saturday 26/27 February.
Wellington was the 2009 Men’s Champions!
As always we are keen for new people to join our group as a committee member, coach or manager. For further inquires contact Rick Whatarau 021 228 2129 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Volunteer of the Year 2009
Congratulations to Terry Callesen, from Johnsonville RFC, on being named Volunteer of the Year for 2009 at the recent annual Wellington Rugby Tui Awards. The citation for Terry reads:
“Terry Callesen is an ardent contributor towards the funding and running of the Johnsonville Rugby Club. Terry works tirelessly around the club and has been an extremely popular committee member for over 12 years.
In 2009 he acted as the club’s gear manager for both the senior and junior clubs and he also manages Johnsonville’s U19, U21, and Sevens teams, and puts his heart and soul into all these roles. Terry gives his time unselfishly for the benefit of both established and younger players and is one of those people who form the backbone of any voluntary organization.”
Further detail on other Winners at the Wellington Rugby Tui Awards is available here.
Wellington Samoan Rugby Football Union
The AGM of this revised organization has been held and the following new executive was elected for 2009-2010:
President Namulau’ulu Pune Brown, Chairman Pa’ala Lefao, Secretary Daisy Tanielu, Treasurer Tanuvasa Petelo, Patron Tiatia Ieti Tiatia
The other five members of the Executive team will be selected at the first meeting over the next few weeks.
The Pacific Cup Competition was held late October / early November with four teams competing: Avele (Wellington), Valley Samoans (Hutt Valley), Tawa Samoans and United Porirua Brothers. The eventual overall winner was Valley Samoans. This competition was successful as it was able to bring Samoan rugby players from within the Greater Wellington area together.
News from the Referees
Almost all on-field activity for the Wellington RRA members has been completed for 2009. John Ballingall and Aaron Parker have just returned from Tahiti where they refereed at a Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions (FORU) Sevens tournament. Mike Fraser also attended this tournament, having been appointed by the NZRU. Mike will be preparing to referee at four IRB Sevens events in 2010, starting with the NZI Sevens in Wellington.
Phil Smith travelled to Japan on our annual Interchange with the Japan East RFU. In the past, our referees have been engaged in the summer training camps conducted before the Japanese competitions get underway. This year, we delayed the travel so that Phil was able to referee full competition fixtures. He refereed three games, and was Assistant Referee in another.
The WRRA has secured funding once again which will allow a summer training programme to be conducted. The off-season training is available to all WRRA members and has been run by Conor Graham of STS Training for several years now. Conor has introduced a wide variety of activity so far this spring and summer and the training has been alternating between Anderson Park / Botanic Gardens and the waterfront. Referees who have participated in the past have benefited hugely from this training regime and the evidence so far in 2009 is that participants will once again reap the rewards of their efforts.
Centurions Activities
Centurions have now completed a very successful season in its support of amateur rugby at secondary school level, and in support of the Rugby Union Foundation of New Zealand.
The Centurions Club raised almost $6,000 for the Foundation as a result of its annual luncheon on 18 September, which this year coincided with the All Blacks Test against Australia, and from the charity Golf tournament held at Shandon Golf Course on 17 August. This was a great result and the CEO Andrew Flexman described it as, ‘a fantastic outcome for the Foundation’. Centurions would like to thank all members of the rugby community who supported these fund raising efforts.
The Club’s efforts in supporting college rugby focused on the traditional coaching games with a Centurions selection held on Wednesday afternoons. The team consists of former representative players who, during the game time, make the effort to pass on suggestions for personal skill development of the boys and information about team strategies and rugby skills. These games are played during the season on Wednesday afternoons at 4pm, and schools are invited to contact Hamish Vance on 0274 402069 for further information.
At the end of the season a Secondary Schools/Centurions team was selected and a game played against a Trojan’s team in New Plymouth. Our team was successful winning 29 – 5.
A new innovation this season was to sponsor two secondary school coaches on the International Rugby Academy’s Advanced Coaches Course in August. This was a significant investment for the Club but we feel that improving the skills and experience of school coaches will provide a valuable resource for the future of the game. We hope to be able to continue with this programme next season.
Primary schools Girls Rippa and Girl Black Tournament
This tournament was held at Fraser Park on Friday 31 October and was a great success with around 450 girls from all over Wellington playing.
20 teams made up the draw for Year 5/6 Rippa, and nine teams were involved in the Girl Black section.
The CCO’s were involved in refereeing, and a big thank you to all the volunteers who brought the girls to the tournament.
(Photo attached of CCO Ray MacDonald with Fraser Crescent girls prior to the Tournament)
U14 and U15 Development Week
This was held at the MSP training facility from 5 to 8 October, with 150 promising players from all over Wellington coming.
Teams were selected for each age category for Hutt Valley, Western Bays and Wellington city, based on where they lived,. Together with Horowhenua-Kapiti U14 and Wairarapa Bush U15 teams, they took part in a wide range of exercises that were run by the CCO’s.
The players were taken through skills like tackling, passing, kicking and contact running on the Monday. Games were played on Tuesday and Thursday, for the players to put into practice what they had learnt on the first day.
Wednesday was a huge day as players were taken through Nutrition with WRFU Academy Trainer, Dave Wildash. This was very well received, including by some parents who were in attendance to help get the message through to the players.
The most enjoyable part from the player’s point of view was the position specific sessions with the Wellington Lions players. The college players greatly appreciated the professional players who attended; with thanks to Piri Weepu, Ged Robinson, Hosea Gear, Tamati Ellision, John Schwalger, Daniel Ramsey, Victor Vito, and Mark Redish
During this week players were also looking to impress for selection in the 2009/10 Emerging Players programme.
At the conclusion Player of the Week awards were announced and a trophy and small gift presented to:
o Hutt Valley U14 Player of the Week – Nopera Hauwaho (Hutt International Boys School)
o Wellington City U14 Player of the Week – James Blackwell (Wellington College)
o Western Bays U14 Player of the Week – Jason Farrer (St Pats Town)
o Hutt Valley U15 Player of the Week – LA Moemai (Naenae College)
o Wellington City U15 Player of the Week – Asim Talim (Rongotai College)
o Western Bays U15 Player of the Week – James Kora (Tawa College)
Special thanks to Marist St Pats Club and St Pats Town for the use of their facilities during this important week.
CCO’s on Tour
The WRFU CCO’s headed to Crusader country in December. After raising enough funds they held their annual planning days at the Christchurch Football Club.
The CCO’s held a golf event in August to help fund this trip south, and also they donated money to the St Johns Ambulance to help support their cause.
The CCO’s planning for 2010, included looking to identify Rugby Smart & Small Black course dates, development week dates etc.
Sport Wellington
They now have a fresh new website; have a look at http://www.sportwellington.org.nz
Sports clubs and organizations should check out the “Sports” tab on the right.
Sports Wellington’s most recent workshop was on Club Planning. If any club member is interested in exploring this further then contact should be made with William Strang at 021 278 8015 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Representative Rugby Results
Wellington B - Played 8, won 7, lost 1 (Winners Hurricanes Region Development Team Competition)
Wellington Pride - Played 6, won 3, drew 1, lost 2 (Semi-Finalists Women's NPC Competition)
Wellington Colts - Played 6, won 3, lost 3
Wellington U19 - Played 5, won 2, drew 1, lost 2 (Finalists Hurricanes U20 Competition)
Wellington U18 - Played 4, won 3, lost 1 (Winners Hurricanes U18 Competition)
Wellington U16A - Played 3, won 2, lost 1
Wellington U16 Development - Played 3, won 3 (Winners Pool B Hurricanes U16 Competition)
Wellington Maori - Played 4, won 2, lost 2
The Wellington U13 Development Program has finished with some very satisfying results:
Premier 2 – Played 6, won 6.
Premier 1 - Played 7, won 4, lost 3 (these were all to older teams as that is the way some other unions are structured).
The Answer – for the Trivia Fan
Jonah Lomu.