Canterbury Rugby Union, New Zealand

PILLARS OF PRIDE

The Pillars of Pride were erected on the pillars on the first floor of the Paul Kelly Stand at Lancaster Park (AMI Stadium). The players were legends of the game in Canterbury and were presented at rugby matches at the stadium with the players and families attending a ceremony at the pillar. There were a large number of players who qualified, but the presentations were made on the basis of their ability to be able to attend the ceremony. The earthquakes put an end to what was a promising programme of events.

The Pillars of Pride were salvaged from Lancaster Park by the CRFU Historical Trust and have now been relocated to Rugby Park.

In order of playing

481 W C (Bill) Dalley

773 W (Wally) Argus

690 D H (Doug) Herman

874 R H (Bob) Duff

953 M J (Morrie) Dixon

983 J D (Sir James) Stewart

994 D (Dennis) Young

995 A E G (Allan) Elsom

998 E (Ewen) Hern

999 S F (Tiny) Hill

1041 S C K (Buddy) Henderson

1080 W F (Fergie) McCormick

1114 I H (Ian) Penrose

1120 A E (Alistair) Hopkinson

1129 W D (Wayne) Cottrell

1130 L J (Lyn) Davis

1135 A J (Alex) Wyllie

1174 R W (Tane) Norton

1178 O D (Doug) Bruce

1194 W K T (Bill) Bush

1203 V E T (Vance) Stewart

1242 G (Graeme) Higginson

1252 D B (Don) Hayes

1267 R M (Robbie) Deans

1290 A (Albert) Anderson

1308 W T (Warwick) Taylor

1311 A T (Andy) Earl

1356 G T M (Graeme) Bachop

Look at us now!

Celebrating Women’s Rugby

New Zealand’s premier women’s rugby team – the Black Ferns – was the World Rugby Team of the Year in 2017. Behind that award is a rich history of women and men who have championed the women’s game.

It hasn’t been an easy road; it’s been a pretty long one; and until recently the story has not often been told. We’re making a small beginning to celebrate the women’s game both nationally and in Canterbury.

A passion for the game

Kendra Cocksedge – Black Ferns Halfback – made her test debut in 2007. She was just 19 but had been playing rugby since she was 4 years old. Originally from Taranaki, she moved to Canterbury to study at Lincoln University and has played for Canterbury since 2007. She thinks the Historical Trust’s exhibition at Rugby Park – Look at Us Now! – is a great start to getting the story of the women’s game more widely known.

In 2015, Kendra was the World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year. In 2016 she took up the role of Women’s Rugby Development Officer with New Zealand Rugby, based in Christchurch, and is passionate about getting recognition for women’s rugby.

The biggest thing for me is working with the Canterbury Rugby Board, which is really supportive of the women’s game. They’ve put resources into it, they’ve grown the game, they’ve supported the competition – it just shows it can actually happen if you put in a resource. Just under 14% they’ve grown the game here. There are people across New Zealand who see it as a blokes’ game, but it is getting more socially acceptable to be involved. These younger girls have role models now. When I started I was always looking up to the All Blacks because I didn’t even know there was a women’s game. I didn’t know that until I went to High School. Then I wanted to be a Black Fern. Now the profile behind it is huge.

People don’t know a lot of the history of women’s rugby. Even some of the girls don’t know the names of the past players, which is really sad. So now as a leader I want us to change that culture and start to talk about past players.

I was 4 years old when I first started playing.

Kendra Cocksedge, 1990s

I’ve a twin sister and we used to do a bit of tap dancing and I was quite high energy and annoyed the teacher and my sister and everyone else in the class. So my mum shipped me off with a family friend to rugby – I picked up a ball and I just loved it. I never looked back. When I was playing in Taranaki there were only one or two girls. I had to play with the boys, so now with my job, I work with the provincial unions so that girls can play with girls. So they can play with their friends.

I was lucky because mum and dad were supportive. And the boys in the team – I’m still mates with them – they looked after me. Opposition teams weren’t always so good. I remember one time one of the boys pulled my ponytail and the rest of the boys piled around and said ‘Don’t you do that.’ They stood up for me, which was pretty sweet.

Kendra Cocksedge with her team, 1990s

I went to New Plymouth Girls High School and they had a team there. I used to wake up in the morning and watch the All Blacks play and try and do the haka and sing the anthem, and I thought one day I want to do that. So when that day came it felt pretty surreal. I’ve played now for 26 years straight! I just love it, and always say that if I can give young girls the opportunity that I’ve had to live the dream, that would be fantastic. That’s why I love my job so much.

There are still a lot of people who say women shouldn’t play rugby. Because it’s a tough contact sport. But it has changed. You know I’m not the biggest person but I enjoy it a lot. The past 11 years I’ve been in the Black Ferns has been absolutely awesome. Winning the World Cup last year was amazing. I was in the team when we won in 2014 but we lost in 2016 and I didn’t want to lose again. I’m still buzzing. It couldn’t have been better timing with us trying to grow the game. And with us in Canterbury winning the Farah Palmer Cup, the women’s game has done so well for Canterbury Rugby.

I’ve only been in this role for two years – and sometimes we get a bit frustrated, but you know sometimes we need to sit back and say ‘Look how far we’ve come in two years.’ To go from having no RDOs across the country to 14 – it’s huge. To have the games on TV, on SKY Sports, to have them live streamed – we’ve actually come a very very long way.

I hope to sit back in 20 odd years and see young girls playing at all age groups and all girls grades. Having an Under 20 representative girls team, and Under 18s team and the Black Ferns succeeding on the world stage. And sevens rugby as well. I want young girls to follow what I’ve done, so I do see myself as a role model. And I want to continue that when I’ve finished playing and when I’m a coach. I want to be the first female coach of the All Blacks! A few people laugh at me and say ‘yeah right’ but I just say ‘You watch.’

Julie Patterson

Was elected to the role of Vice-President of the Canterbury Rugby Football Union (CRFU) in 2017. She was the first female Official elected to the CRFU in its 137 year history.

In 2019, having served two years as Vice President she was elected as President of the Union at the AGM.

Affectionately known as JP, Julie is a long-standing member of the Metro Judicial Committee, having served for 20 years, and she was Canterbury Rugby’s 2016 Volunteer of the Year. “Rugby has always been a big part of my life, from my early years supporting Southbridge, my playing days for the University Club and Canterbury, and various volunteer roles over the last thirty years. I have always been happy to contribute and this is another way of doing so for the game that I love.” Julie is also Citing Liaison Officer for Super Rugby and the Mitre 10 Cup.

Natasha Wong

Former Black Fern, and Canterbury Women’s rugby team manager, was elected to the Canterbury Rugby Football Union (CRFU) Board in February 2018.

Natasha said it was an exciting opportunity to contribute to the game she loves: “It was an honour to represent this province as a player, and I am looking forward to representing Canterbury Rugby in my new capacity as a member of the Board. We have a fantastic culture here in Canterbury and I am honoured to have the ability to contribute to that in my new role.”

As volunteer, player, coach and manager, Natasha’s involvement spans more than 30 years. She was a Canterbury Women’s representative between 1988 and 1998, playing 75 games for the province. She was a Black Fern1989–1995, and then moved into coaching and management. Natasha is the current Team Manager for the Canterbury Women’s Farah Palmer Cup side, a position she has held since 2011.

Laurie O’Reilly

Was the coach of the Crusadettes, the University of Canterbury women’s rugby team which had broken new ground in women’s rugby when they toured the United States and Europe in 1988. Their success had started to change attitudes. In a 1989 article in The Press, they were described as ‘… establishing the credibility of women’s rugby, both nationally and internationally.’

Laurie O’Reilly was a determined champion of the women’s game. He was also very involved with the men’s game for Canterbury University as a player, coach and a mentor. Laurie was an exceptional man with ideas ahead of his time. Hewas appointed selection convenor for the national women’s team, and was commemorated for his contribution to women’s rugby in 1998 – the Laurie O’Reilly Memorial Trophy is competed for by the women’s teams of New Zealand and Australia.

JJ Stewart

Fought for recognition of the women’s game within the NZRFU. From Taranaki and a former All Blacks coach, JJ saw the need for the fledgling women’s game to have recognition and assistance from the NZRFU and issued a passionate plea for it to be officially recognised. He famously said: “I wanted to stir up some of these stick-in-the-muds on the Council and, mark my words, women’s rugby will be good for the game.” JJ won the day, and was responsible for women’s rugby matters during his four years on the Council. He also became involved in coaching support and player welfare. In 1990 it was Laurie O’Reilly who commissioned a provincial rugby trophy for women’s rugby – the JJ Stewart Trophy.

Then and now …

Breakthrough games in Women’s Rugby

1972 Agame against an Invitation XV played at Rugby Park (it was not allowed to be played at Lancaster Park)

1980 NZ Women v Californian Kiwis. A curtain raiser for the men’s Canterbury vs Fiji game played at Lancaster Park

June 30 1986 Canterbury vs Rio Grande Surfers (from San Diego) as a curtain raiser for men’s NZ vs France

22 July 1989 NZ vs Californian Grizzlies at Lancaster Park. The first NZ women’s team, chosen by selectors appointed by NZRFU. With not quite full test status, the team is called ‘A New Zealand XV’

Women’s rugby has come a long way

2017 The Black Ferns are the first women’s team ever to be named the World Rugby Team of the Year

2017 The Black Ferns are named New Zealanders of the Year by the NZ Herald

2018 At a celebration reunion to mark the 20^th anniversary of the Black Ferns 1998 Women’s Rugby World Cup victory, women players were honoured with Test caps for the first time

2018 For the first time women players are offered professional salaried contracts to play the game

2018 Women’s Rugby World Cup winning captain Fiao’oFaamausili heads the list of the rugby service awards in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List

The Black Ferns

2017 Winners of the World Rugby Team of the Year

If you live in Canterbury or are visiting, come to the Canterbury Rugby Football Union’s home at Rugby Park, Corner of Malvern & Rutland Streets, St Albans, Christchurch to see more of the story of Women’s Rugby in New Zealand.