What an awesome time for Red and Black rugby! It's been so good having the Ranfurly Shield touring throughout our rugby community – everyone has a story on where they have seen the shield in the past and it has been great to add another chapter to this. It was particularly special to have the shield at our Club Connect Volunteer Recognition function prior to the Tasman match on Sunday. With 30 of our clubs and more than 60 volunteers present, it was a fantastic way to say thanks for all of the hard mahi that our amazing club volunteers have put in over the season.

On top of that, there’s still a heap of community rugby happening across the region – including the Koru Games earlier in the week – which shows just how much rugby is still thriving across Canterbury.

Our Canterbury B side are halfway through their 4-game campaign, with a win and a loss. Head Coach Ben Rhodes said the group have connected really well and settled quickly into the campaign. "We came away with a hard earned win in Southland after a long trip and terrible weather, but it was great to see the NPC team take the shield. Wellington, and the trip up, gave us a tough lessons. While we were on the back foot from the start the lads showed real fight to work their way back into the contest. We’re excited for the next two games against Otago and Tasman, with Tasman being our first and only home game, it would be great to see a strong home crowd get in behind the boys after so much time on the road."

Results so far:

- Southland B (24) vs Canterbury B (32)
- Wellington B (69) vs Canterbury B (47)

Upcoming fixtures:
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- 20 September vs Otago B, 1:00pm Tahuna Park, Dunedin
- 27 September vs Tasman B, 1:00pm Christchurch Park, Christchurch

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It’s been an incredible campaign from our Canterbury Under 19s, who secured the South Island Under 19 title with commanding wins over Southland (31-0) and Otago (90-0).

Our two Canterbury Under 18 squads are set for a huge weekend at the South Island Under 18 Girls Tournament Finals in Timaru (21–23 September at Fraser Park).

Head Coach of Canterbury Black, Steph Broomhall talked to the excitement from the team ahead of Mondays competition. "Canterbury Black welcome the challenge and privilege to play in a semi final on Monday in Timaru. They bring with them high expectations of themselves and a willingness to work hard for each other."

Tournament update:

- Canterbury Black are straight through to the Semi Finals on Monday after wins over Canterbury Red and Tasman.
- Canterbury Red face a must win clash against Tasman, with the winner joining Canterbury Black in the Semi Finals.

Follow fixtures and results here: Canterbury U18 Girls

Four Canterbury sub-union sides – Ellesmere, Metro Black, Metro Red and North Canterbury – are competing in the South Island Under 16 Boys Tournament. The Waitaha Under 16 will also join the finals weekend. With round robin play nearly complete, quarterfinal spots are on the line before the finals series kicks off (28–30 September at Rhodes Park Domain, Waihora RFC, Tai Tapu).

Check out the squads, draws, and results here: Canterbury U16 Boys

Canterbury Rugby is in a great place right now – from the Shield touring our community, to our representative teams proudly wearing our colours across the South Island. A huge thank you again to everyone in our clubs and communities who continue to give their time, energy, and passion to keep rugby strong in Canterbury.