On behalf of the JRFC Committee we would like to welcome all our players & families back for the 2024 season, it should be an exciting season!
A special welcome to all our new Colts players & families, this is a new team so we urge supporters to get along to watch them when you can. This season we field 6 teams with the coaching and management set up's as follows:
Premiers:
Head Coach: Jason Adamson
Assistant Coach: Dallas Paotonu
Technical Adviser: Rob Aloe
Statistician: Blair Mockett
Co Managers: Keri Atkins, Susan Poutoa.
Premier Reserves:
Head Coach: Tom Beddington
Assistant Coach: George Faletolu
Assistant Coach: Mone Vitale
Managers: Leanne Rautao, Anya Faletolu.
Colts:
Head Coach: Andrew Wharakura
Assistant Coach: Paul Wharakura
Assistant Coach: Sweeney Smith
Technical Advisor: Ben Fisher
Manager: Lauren Hannah.
U85's
Head Coach: Corey Lawrence
Assistant Coach: Rawiri Atkins
Manager: AP, Andrew Paul.
Cripples
Coach: Andrew Mitchell
Assistant Coach: Ben Cathro
Manager/CEO: Noff.
Presidents
Coaches: Sean Wichman, Derek Wanders (Ted)
Manager: Trina Wichman.
Preseason Games:
Saturday 9th March: vs Upper Hutt, Maidstone Park, Upper Hutt
Premier's won a 6 x 20 mins format 57-39 and a mixed B's / Colt's side won 42-34 which was a great hit out for the teams. A few images from the day are below:
Saturday 2nd March vs Feilding / Napier Old Boys Marist
Game 1
(A's and B's) vs Napier Old Boys Marist - 24-19 to J'ville.
Game 2
vs Feilding Yellows - 5-0 to J'ville.
Colts - Game 1
14-7 to opposition.
Game 2
Against Napier - 19-10 to J'ville.
Upcoming:
Saturday 16th March: vs Paraparaumu, Paraparaumu Domain (for the Cooper Family Trophy).
Save the Dates
13 April: Social night, introducing our new balloon game
20 April: The Italian Job - Italian Lunch (more deets below)
27 April: Batons Up
29 June: Old Timers Day vs Marist St Pats.
New Fundraiser
This season we are hoping to start a supporters club, more details to follow.
Referee Award
On behalf of the JRFC we would like to congratulate referee Colin Dallas who recently had the honour of being awarded Life Membership as a referee, a well deserved award.
125 years in Existence Centenary
Next year we will be celebrating our 125th centenary, this will take place over Easter & at this stage is looking something like this:
Friday 18th April 2025: A Meet & Greet at the club.
Saturday 19th April 2025: Games.
Sunday 20th April 2025: A Formal dinner at the club.
More info will follow as we progress with the arrangements, These dates will not change so if anyone knows of people wanting to attend it will be ok to book travel / accommodation now.
Obituary Rick Kaye
Rick passed away on 29 January 2024. Rick first coached our Colts in 1987 in the Rheineck Cup, ten years later he coached our senior 2nds & won the HD Morgan Trophy. In 1998 he coached our Premiers winning the Swindale Shield for the first time in our history. Rick related well to the players, some who were internationals & some first class players turning a team of individual players into a champion team. Rick was well respected by players and supporters being a much valued club member. RIP Rick.
WORKING BEE - SUNDAY 24TH MARCH
We will be focusing on getting the exterior of the club washed, we welcome anyone that has long house washing brushes or really long arms to come along and help, time would be 10am till 2pm or whatever time you can give. Sometime soon we hope to be getting a new roof on the clubrooms so there will be scaffolding up. The plan is while the scaffold is up we will use that and clean the top of the club. There will be food & a beer when we down tools. Looking forward to seeing as many people as possible there, thanks in advance.
That's it for now.
Cheers,
Cherie & Trina.