We’ve well and truly hit the business end of the season, and what a ride it’s been so far! Last weekend’s Women’s Final was an absolute standout — a massive celebration of the women’s game, and a testament to the growth and passion we’re seeing in this space. Huge congratulations to New Brighton for coming out on top in what was a special occasion for all involved.

This weekend is set to deliver more top-notch footy with Premier Reserve Finals and playoffs kicking off, alongside semi-finals action across the Metro and Ellesmere senior grades. If you’re keen to catch a game, you can check out all the latest draws here.

We’re also looking ahead to some big days in the community calendar — Ellesmere Finals Day at Prebbleton and North Canterbury Finals Day at the Rangiora Showgrounds, Saturday 26^th July. These are always brilliant days out for our local clubs and supporters, so make sure you head along and soak it all in.

Looking further ahead, mark your calendars for Sunday 27th August, when the Southern Alps Ultra Under 85kg and Bascik Transport Metro Premier Finals hit the big stage at Apollo Projects Stadium. This is an awesome opportunity for our community teams to experience playing in a premier venue and for our rugby whānau to show their support in numbers.Let’s make it a day to remember!

In the development space, we had a fantastic turnout over the school holidays with 300 Rangatahi attending our Cantabrians Under 15 Boys and Under 16/18 Girls Development Camps. With awesome coaches and a great learning environment, it was another big step forward in growing our future stars.

Our Junior and Teenage competitions are now back in full swing after the holiday break, and the energy on the fields has been unreal.

And finally, keep an eye out as Representative Rugby kicks off soon, starting with the Tane Norton Trophy on August 2nd. Fixtures will be available on Rugby Xplorer soon, and squads will be dropping in the next week — exciting times ahead!

As always, let’s keep it positive on the sidelines and enjoy every minute of finals footy. Win or lose, it’s about community, connection, and celebrating the game we all love.