Over 140 U16 and U18 girls are fizzing at the wealth of knowledge and skills they’re walking away with after attending a specialised camp this week, at the ultimate destination for female rugby in Canterbury.

The annual camp has seen a huge increase in participants for 2026 – a great indication that Women’s rugby in Canterbury is only getting stronger, and what better location to host it than at Matatū Headquarters out at Lincoln University.

Lead throughout the three-day camp by 25 Canterbury Rugby coaches, Farah Palmer Cup and Matatū players, the young athletes not only honed their on field skills but learned about physical maintenance and mental preparation.

Akelia, 13, who plays for HSOB says she signed up looking for an experience to learn new things, “This is a great opportunity to progress in my rugby” she said, “my highlight has been making new friends. Some of the girls here are just amazing, and seeing that has been a big inspiration to me. They’re just incredible”.

Players travelled in from across Canterbury, Mid Canterbury, South Canterbury and the West Coast to attend and one of these extremely dedicated athletes, Keisha, travels in from the West Coast twice a week to play for Christchurch FC. Keisha wanted to spend the week pushing herself to come out of her comfort zone, “When I make mistakes and they give me feedback, I try to keep that in mind” she said, “It’s cool to see people that have a lot more experience and I use that as an inspiration”.

Not able to stay away from the fun was Canterbury FPC player and Matatū Captain, Grace Brooker. “They were amazing, it blew my mind away at how many girls there were!” she said, “They want to learn was the main thing that stood out to me, everyone was asking questions, being challenged and willing to be challenged. There were some amazing coaches helping out, and they took full appreciation of the talent that was there”.

Brooker reflected on the opportunities available for female rugby players in Canterbury compared to her own experience as a junior, “Growing up, we never had anything like this. I went to a few camps, but they were mainly for boys,” she said. “To see these girls getting that opportunity makes me really proud, and the talent coming through makes me excited about the future of New Zealand rugby.”

One of the key organisers of the camp, Rilee O’Rourke - Canterbury Rugby Women’s and Girls Lead, was also impressed with the level of talent developing through our Union, “It was great to see so many returning players from last year. You could really notice how much they have grown and developed both as players and individuals over the past 12 months,” she said. “The camp was a great success overall, and we’re already looking at ways to make it even bigger and better next year”.

Get a glimpse of these talented and aspirational young wāhine across our sub unions! Check out the Bascik Transport Canterbury Women’s competitions here, and check back in next term for the Girls First XV Comp!

In the wise words of the inspired Akelia, “come on girls – get into rugby!”

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