Issue 36 : 11 August 2019
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. We hope you enjoy reading the articles below.
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.
If you are interested in applying for membership of the Association, please click here.
Association Board To Meet With Members Of Parliament ...
An invitation has been extended to Wellington region Members of Parliament (both Electorate and List), to meet with the Association’s Board early next month.
The meeting will discuss: the challenges being faced by organised amateur sport in providing for the social and physical well-being of local communities; how the Association is working within New Zealand’s local communities to ensure there are opportunities, incentives and recognition for those involved with sport, “for the love of the game”; and how Central Government can assist the Association in the achievement of its vision to for all New Zealand communities to have viable and enduring amateur sporting bodies..
Southland Bowling Club To Close After 140 Years ...
The Southland Bowling Club is one of New Zealand's oldest bowling clubs. It was established in 1880, with its first green located at the rear of the Southland Club Hotel on Dee Street.
Before World War 2, there were 382 bowling clubs throughout New Zealand, with a combined membership of over 19,000 players. Today, the Southland Club has only 18 members, 16 of who play regularly, (while the Southland region still has 37 other clubs). The lack of members and increasing costs are the principal factors which forced the Club to make the decision to close, following its 140th anniversary in 2020.
You can read more about the Club’s history and future, by clicking here.
National Amateur Club Survey To Commence In September ...
The 2019 Survey, in association with Pinnacle Corporation and Dynasty Sport, is in the process of being finalised, ready for launch in early September. As with the inaugural survey in 2018, it will be delivered via e-Mail to the Association’s database of amateur sports clubs, nationally.
If you would like to pre-register your Club to receive a copy of the survey questionnaire, please e-Mail the Survey Co-Ordinator, Amber Campbell at support@asa.org.nz.
Stratford’s Ian Smith Recognised By Sporting Community ...
Ian Smith first became involved in Rugby Union in Taranaki through the now defunct Midhirst Rugby Football Club, north of Stratford. Around 20 years ago, he joined the Stratford Rugby Football Club, which amalgamated with the Eltham Rugby Football Club to form the Stratford Eltham Rugby & Sports Club in 2016.
As a member of the various clubs’ Committees and as Chairman of both the Midhirst and Stratford Clubs, “Smithy” as an able and long-standing administrator was acknowledged for this contribution to community sport by being the first Stratford Eltham Club Member to be awarded Life Membership, last month.
(Ian Smith, second from right, has been involved in Taranaki community sport for decades)
Ian recognises the challenges facing community clubs in the current era, with a diminishing pool of volunteers and increasing costs both by-products of the impact of the professional game. However, he also notes that the Stratford Eltham Club has managed to attract good sponsorship and is a friendly environment with a good mix of people of all ages.
Smithy most enjoys watching the progression of players through the grades, but also realises that without the support of his wife Jill, he would have been unable to achieve all he has. The Association applauds Ian for his contribution to community sport in Taranaki.
You can read more about Ian’s story, by clicking here.
ENGSO Conference Discusses The Future Of European Sports Clubs ...
A European Non-Governmental Sports Organisation (ENGSO) Conference held last year addressed two topics: “the modern sports club” and “e-sports meets sports clubs”, asking the questions: “what is the future of sports clubs?” and “what role will e-sports play in sport?”
The Conference found that like New Zealand, while youth participation in clubs seems to be on the rise, there is a common tendency for children to drop-out of club-based sport by early adolescence. The Conference found that the drop occurs for many reasons, but is common across countries for both boys and girls. One potential reason is the simple fact that sports stop being fun. Another potential inhibitor of participation is the growth of competing activities, which draw attention away from community based sports and sports clubs, particularly for adults.
In order to encourage more participation, many Conference speakers focused on innovative and creative solutions that shift traditional visions of sports clubs, including developing an inclusive environment conducive to developing connections with the community, a focus which this Association endorses.
ENGSO is a not-for-profit organisation which has become the leading voice of voluntary sports organisations in Europe. Its mission, aligned to this Association, is to promote the interest of grassroots sport in Europe. You can learn more about ENGSO by clicking here.
From The Archives ...
UNIFORM OF BLACK
EVENING POST, VOLUME CIX, ISSUE 118, 22 MAY 1925
"Very decided opinions regarding the use of the fern leaf and the all black uniform by New Zealand teams were expressed at a meeting of the Council of the New Zealand Football Association, last evening. The matter arose when the following letter from the New Zealand Rugby Union was read: "My union is anxious to conserve the title ‘All Blacks’ and confine the use of the New Zealand Rugby uniform to those amateur sports bodies who have organisations and control New Zealand representatives in any field of sport.”
Mr. H. I. Graves characterised the action of the Rugby Union as an endeavour to squeeze out [Rugby] League. He thought the league people were just as entitled to use the fern leaf as anybody, and he was not in favour of being a party in squeezing out another sports body. He held no brief for League, but they were entitled to use the fern leaf as the national emblem of New Zealand. Personally, he thought the fern leaf should be made the universal emblem for New Zealand - by Act of Parliament, if necessary.”
(Horace Ivatt “Horry” Graves, Treasurer of the New Zealand Football Association)
In the early 20th century, it was customary for New Zealand representatives in all branches of amateur sport to adopt a black uniform with a silver fern. In June 1925, the New Zealand Rugby Union attempted to enlist the support of other sporting codes (including the New Zealand Football Association noted above) to join a deputation to the then Minister of Internal Affairs to confine the use of the New Zealand sporting uniform to amateur sporting bodies who “have organisation and control of New Zealand representatives in any field of sport”.
The earliest record of use of the fern leaf for a New Zealand representative team occurred in 1884 when a football team toured New South Wales wearing a blue jersey with a gold fern leaf, with the emblem selected by Joseph Astbury Warbrick. The earliest use of the silver fern was in 1888, when a New Zealand Natives rugby football team toured England.
The Final Word ...
"If you neglect Club Rugby, you'll neglect Heartland Rugby.”
(Sir Brian Lochore ONZ KNZM OBE)
