Issue 138 : 24 September 2023
Talofa Lava, Kia Orana, Malo E Leilei, Tena Koutou, Hello ...
... and welcome to the latest issue of “For The Love Of The Game”, the official e-zine of the New Zealand Amateur Sport Association Inc., founded in Wellington, New Zealand in 2017.
If you have any feedback on this issue, ideas for future articles, or would like to contact the Editor, please click here. And, you are invited to forward the e-zine to others you know, who may be interested in reading it. An archive of earlier editions of the e-zine can be found here.
For those who follow Twitter, you can also follow the Association, @AmateurSportNZ. If you are interested in applying for membership of the Association, please click here.
Porangahau Sports Club Inc. – "The Heartbeat Of The Community" ...
The coastal village of Porangahau in Central Hawkes Bay has a rich history of supporting winter sport, offering both netball and rugby union to both young and old alike. For many rural communities in New Zealand, sport brings people together in an inclusive way, building social cohesion through sporting identity and community pride.
Radio New Zealand’s “Country Life” programme on Saturday morning this week broadcast a documentary illustrating the importance of incorporated community sport organisations to the physical and mental well-being of those that they serve. The Porangahau United Rugby Football was first incorporated in 1979 and last year changed its name to reflect its broader sporting vision and community role. You can listen to Radio New Zealand’s broadcast, here.
ACT Commits To Minimise Red Tape For Community Sport ...
Following a request from the Association to New Zealand’s major political parties to inform the Association on their policies for sport and recreation ahead of the General Election, the ACT party has responded recognising the role that sport plays in the lives of many New Zealanders and the contribution amateur and club sport makes to the wider community.
ACT states that it is acutely aware of the burden which greater regulatory obligations puts onto clubs and the impact this has on club resources, with this being reflected in the number of clubs which are dissolved annually due to non-compliance. The party opposes unnecessary government regulations and red tape in all sectors and will endeavour to minimise how this affects community sport.
ACT also recognises that the majority of personnel who are required to ensure compliance to keep clubs running are volunteers, and without the phenomenal contributions from volunteers around the country most sport clubs could not function. The current cost of living crisis is putting pressure on families to withdraw their kids from sport and cut back on volunteer hours, which would mean a reduction in services offered with local authority sports facilities left unused.
ACT believes every New Zealander should have the opportunity to participate in sport, especially youth and children and is happy to work with the Association to address any regulatory barriers or other issues facing community sport as part of the next government.
Meanwhile, Labour & National Are Light On Policy Detail ...
The Labour Party states that it, “… supports funding that reflects equitable outcomes for New Zealanders. This includes participation, particularly from those under represented groups in our community.” The National Party advises it, “… has not released specific policy in this area.”
National Sport Club Survey In 31st European Sport Conference ...
Last week, the National Sport Club Survey project team was represented at the "European Sport Management Conference" in Belfast, Northern Ireland at the University of Ulster. Dr Mel Johnston and Linden Moore from the survey project team formed part of a conference workshop focused on, “strengthening the management and performance of community sport through national sport club surveys”.
The Association's decision to launch a national sport club survey in 2018 has now resulted in increasing international recognition, which is something the project team are very proud of. Of course, this evolution and achievement has relied on the resources and support of AUT working in partnership (and the financial support of our sponsors), for which we are very appreciative. You can read more about the EASM workshop in Belfast, here.
35 Secondary Schools Represented At Regional Rugby Union Tournament ...
Since 1972, rugby Provincial Unions in the central (now known as “Hurricanes”) region of New Zealand have participated in a rugby tournament for secondary school boys aged under 16. The Tournament was first held in response to a new strategy from the New Zealand Rugby Football Union in 1971, which had the goal of boosting junior and teenage rugby throughout the country.
This year, nearly 200 students from 35 secondary schools in the region are participating under the colours of their Provincial Union in Hastings for the Don Broughton Shield (Division A) and Saracens Cup (Division B). The Tournament (like those offered for other teenage sports) provides a rich life experience for those who participate, both on-field and off-field. This year’s Tournament will be based at the Mitre 10 Sports Park in Hastings, next week.
This weekend, girls aged under 18 are participating in teams from six Provincial Unions from the same region in a Development Camp/Tournament, at Napier Boys’ High School in Hawkes Bay. The event provides an opportunity for young women who are interested in the game to benefit from coaching and mentoring with the support of the New Zealand Rugby Union.
Reminder: Income Tax For Community Sport Organisations ...
A reminder that the Association invites all interested community sportspeople to attend one of two public ZOOM sessions on income tax obligations for community sport organisations, on Tuesday, 10 October (at 4.30pm) or on Saturday, 21 October (at 4.00pm).
There is an online registration form, available here.
New Study Shows CTE In Young Amateur Athletes ...
In a new study of 152 deceased athletes less than 30 years old who were exposed to repeated head injury through contact sports by the United States National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) published on 28 August 2023, brain examination demonstrated that 63 (41%) had "chronic traumatic encephalopathy" (or CTE).
Among the brain donors found to have CTE, 71% had played contact sports at a non-professional level (youth, high school, or college competition). Common sports included American football, ice hockey, soccer, rugby union, and wrestling. Notably, the study includes what the authors believe to be the first report of CTE in an amateur female soccer player.
All athletes in this study had shown clinical symptoms, regardless of CTE status, as reported by those who knew them. Clinical symptoms of depression, apathy, difficulty controlling behaviours, and problems with decision-making were common, even among donors without CTE.
You can read more about the study here.
New National Sport Cub Survey Website ...
The new National Sport Club Survey (NSCS) website is expected to be launched next month. Created with the generous financial support of Pelorus Trust, the website will house information and insights relating to this important annual survey (now in its sixth year) with the intention of benefiting community sport organisations nationally.
The next edition of this newsletter will contain the details of upcoming 2023 NSCS regional workshops, which are currently being planned in the Gisborne, Southland and Tasman regions. Insights will also be provided at seminars planned for the Taranaki and Manawatu regions.
From The Archives ...
SCULLING
WANGANUI HERALD, VOLUME XXXX, ISSUE 11997, 15 OCTOBER 1906, PAGE 7
“The Stanbury-Webb match has rekindled the enthusiasm of many of our veteran oarsmen, and on Saturday I noticed Messrs Tom Ferry and George Braithwaite out in skiffs. The former was the first to introduce a single sculling skiff to Wanganui. This was in 1867, or just on 40 years ago. Tom can still handle the sculls, and when someone (I think it was Jack Bates, another old warhorse) sang out to him to give George a spin up from the bridge, the "father of sculling" on the Wanganui was nothing loath.”
Thomas Watson “Tom” Ferry was born on 16 January 1845 in Camberwell in the London Borough of Southwark, England, the son of John Charles and Isabella (nee McKay) Ferry. He emigrated to New Zealand at the age of 21 and for 12 years worked at a local Whanganui newspaper, before becoming a popular publican at the Occidental Hotel in the late 1870’s and a subsequently a tobacconist and hairdresser on Ridgway Street, (unfortunately experiencing bankruptcy). He married Sarah Marion Northover in 1867, with whom he raised 10 children.
(Tom Ferry, left with members of his family, right)
He was rumoured to have been the first person to build and row a sculling boat on the Whanganui River in 1867. The following year, he founded the Wanganui Union Boating Club with George Cummins (a local boatbuilder), being the first Club Captain and remaining a member (and Vice President) of the club until his death nearly 40 years later.
(The officials of the Wanganui Sailing Club, 1904, with Tom Ferry circled)
He was involved in coaching and governing the club for many years, donating a gold medal trophy for the “Ferry Handicap Sculls” in 1907. His brother John (who died in a tragic accident in 1881) became the coxswain of the senior club crew. In 1882, Tom was part of a group which formed the annual “Wanganui Rowing Regatta,” being the inaugural starter and umpire, thereafter, becoming colloquially known as “the judge”.
Tom Ferry had a strong community service ethic, joining the Wanganui Fire Brigade and serving as its Captain for many years. Also known as the “old soul”, he died on 29 July 1914 at the age of 69. He is buried in the Heads Road cemetery in Whanganui.
(The Committee of the 1903 Wanganui Regatta, with Tom Ferry circled)
The Final Word ...
“… having that sense of belonging, being involved, being active … does wonders for the brain and wonders for the health …”
(Shae Anderson, Porangahau Sports Club Inc.)