A renewed positivity and way forward for squash in New Zealand, as the sport looks towards its future with a unified approach led by the 2021-24 Strategic Direction, We are Squash New Zealand – Poipātū Aotearoa.
There are four strategic priorities with a key focus being the cultural shift ‘kotahitanga’.
We have a common vision and approach from all 11 Districts who have signed on to the Strategic Direction. We will establish stronger links with the wider squash and general community.
‘Our Purpose’ recognises the health and happiness outcomes of playing squash and belonging to a club.
Our focus is on keeping and creating more vibrancy . We want to support clubs sustainability and inspire the public by showcasing our players, events, clubs and volunteers.
To read the full Strategic Direction, click here
This leads on to an ideal opportunity for squash in New Zealand to showcase itself with World Squash Day 2021 and there are 100 days to go until the big day, Saturday 9 October.
This is the 20th anniversary of World Squash Day and as the first country to welcome in the new day we can also promote our new vision and purpose .The sport is blessed with Paul Coll and Joelle King on the world stage as well as our domestic players and events showcasing the sport with improving PSA world rankings. Now it is the opportunity to highlight many of our clubs and the sport within New Zealand and how it can improve lifestyles, via connectivity, sense of belonging, fun and enhance our wellbeing.
Squash New Zealand and the Districts have agreed to work with the New Zealand Mental Health Foundation as the charity for the World Squash Day. The charity fits well . We both support healthy lifestyles and we look forward to a meaningful relationship that provides good health outcomes for NZers.
Resources to make World Squash Day as positive and proactive, are being put together along with ways to support the Mental Health Foundation and the community.
The focus is to celebrate the value of squash for the community and supporting mental health at the same time.
The Canterbury Open and South Island Championships were held from Thursday 17 June to Sunday 20 June at the Christchurch Squash Club, with nearly 150 participants competing across 6 Men's Divisions, 3 Women's Divisions and 1 Junior Division.
Emma Cormack (1) met Grace Hymers (2) in the Women’s Open final in a rematch of the 2020 final. Cormack got into her work quickly and took control of things with a 2-0 lead. Hymers was looking to mount a comeback in the 3rd set but hit the deck hard which looked to have given her a knock to the ankle. She bravely got to her feet and soldiered on, before she went over heavily on her ankle again, and after an injury time out she unfortunately had to concede the match as she could not continue. This was Cormack’s 4th Canterbury Open title in a row.
The Men’s Open final followed straight afterwards on the Mike Beresford Court, as Joe Williams (1) came up against Jayden Millard (3), after the latter tipped up Adam Odering (2) in the semi final. Williams had been clinical all tournament, and drew first blood before Millard evened the ledger at 1-1, which was the first game that Williams had dropped all weekend. Williams wasn’t to be deterred however, as the two traded long rallies before Williams came out on top 3-1 for his first Canterbury Open title.
A huge thank you to Adam Teo, Bruce McEachen, Paul Growcott and the Christchurch Squash Club committee and members for hosting a fantastic event and putting in big shifts throughout the weekend to ensure it ran smoothly.Results:
Men’s Open
Winner: Joe Williams, Christchurch Squash Club
Runner Up: Jayden Millard, Burnside Squash Club
Women’s Open
Winner: Emma Cormack, Marlborough Squash Rackets Club
Runner Up: Grace Hymers, Christchurch Squash Club
Men’s Div 1
Winner: Thomas Cooper, Christchurch Squash Club
Runner Up: Liam Gale, Waimea Squash Club
Women’s Div 1
Winner: Andrea Dudley, SquashCity (Southland)
Runner Up: Rachel Hebberd, Marlborough Squash Rackets Club
Junior Division
Winner: Ashton Fisher, Christchurch Squash Club
Runner Up: Ashton Cameron, Christchurch Squash Club
Men’s Div 2
Winner: Ethan Peddie, Christchurch Football Squash Club
Runner Up: Tim Petterson, Christchurch Squash Club
Women’s Div 2
Winner: Sasha Ellery, Greymouth Squash Club
Runner Up: Grace Rhodes, Greymouth Squash Club
Men’s Div 3
Winner: Dave Brown, Marlborough Squash Rackets Club
Runner Up: Hayden de Burger, Malvern Squash Club
Men’s Div 4
Winner: Harry O’Loughlin, Christchurch Football Squash Club
Runner Up: Jack Gibb, Waimea Squash Club
Men’s Div 5
Winner: Blair Bethwaite, Christchurch Squash Club
Runner Up: Samuel Burdett, Christchurch Squash Club
Canterbury have successfully defended the South Island Quadrangular title after the tournament took place at the Timaru Squash Club last weekend.
The team won all three of their respective ties against Midlands, Otago and Southland, as the Juniors secured a convincing 1st, the Masters pipped Midlands by 1 point to take 1st and the Seniors were 2nd behind a strong Southland team.
Congratulations to the team, and manager Jess Wilson, for a fantastic weekend of results, and a huge thank you to Vicki Rae, Squash Midlands and the Timaru Squash Club for hosting this great tournament. It was great to be back playing against yourselves, Otago and Southland - we’ve missed it!
Overall: 1st Canterbury, 2nd Midlands, 3rd Southland, 4th Otago
Juniors: 1st Canterbury, 2nd Midlands, 3rd Southland, 4th Otago
Seniors: 1st Southland, 2nd Canterbury, 3= Midlands and Otago
Masters: 1st Canterbury, 2nd Midlands, 3rd Otago, 4th Southland
The South Island Quadrangular Tournament makes a welcome return this weekend at the Timaru Squash Club hosted by Squash Midlands after being cancelled in 2020 due to Covid-19.
Canterbury will be looking to bring the trophy back up State Highway 1 after winning it in 2018 and 2019, and we look forward to seeing the team in action as they take on Midlands, Otago and Southland.
Thank you to the selectors for their time and efforts in naming the following players in the team. Unfortunately there have been a couple of injuries and illnesses so there are a couple of changes to the teams that were announced at the Linwood Open and Canterbury Junior Open.
The team is as follows:
Masters Men: Tim Preston, Chris Jarrett
Masters Women: Julie Brown, Liza Tonkin
Senior Men: Nick Burns, Brandon McHaffie, Ash Gilbert
Senior Women: Sarah Blair, Kate Fox, Kayla Brocks
Junior Boys: Tom Marshall, Ryan Ko, Chris Hebberd
Junior Girls: Petra Curd-McCullough, Moriya Karati, Tanisha Butt
Manager: Jess Wilson
Congratulations to those selected, and good luck for the tournament this weekend!
The end of May saw the anticipated return of the Canterbury Junior Open after it was unfortunately cancelled in 2020 due to Covid-19. 60 of the up and coming junior players from all around the District participated in a great few days of squash at the Christchurch Football Squash Club, which is an increase from 48 players in 2019. 20 of the players at the Junior Open were J graders, so it goes to show the great work that clubs and Squash Canterbury are doing to bring new players into the sport, and we look forward to seeing those players progress through the grades. A big thank you again to Kirsty Whiteside, Aaron Warner and their club for hosting a thoroughly enjoyable weekend. These events don’t happen without the clubs, and we really appreciate everything that you do to facilitate these tournaments – especially when there are trying weather conditions on finals day!
Boys Open
Winner: Paul Moran - Marlborough Squash Rackets Club
Runner Up: Ryan Ko - Burnside Squash Club
Third: Chris Hebberd - Marlborough Squash Rackets Club
Girls Open
Winner: Leonie Marshall - Marlborough Squash Rackets Club
Runner Up: Anastasia Lim - Rangiora Squash Club
Third: Moriya Karati - Hoon Hay Squash Club
Boys Div 1
Winner: Tyrell Eden - Christchurch Football Squash Club
Runner Up: Harry O’Loughlin - Christchurch Football Squash Club
Third: Max Benge - Marlborough College Old Boys’ Squash Club
Girls Div 1
Winner: Jasmine McCoy - Christchurch Squash Club
Runner Up: Sofia Strange - Christchurch Squash Club
Third: Arihia O’Driscoll - Christchurch Football Squash Club
Boys Div 2
Winner: Ethan Forsyth - Marlborough College Old Boys’ Squash Club
Runner Up: Jude Lim - Rangiora Squash Club
Third: Ryan Chisholm - Marlborough College Old Boys’ Squash Club
Boys Div 3
Winner: Paddy Gould - Christchurch Football Squash Club
Runner Up: Fabian Cron - Christchurch Squash Club
Third: Sean Gillman - Burnside Squash Club
Squash Canterbury is delighted to welcome Ryan Frampton to the team as Participation Activator for Greater Christchurch, after Di McCoy finished her time with us at the end of last week.Ryan played squash throughout his time at Christchurch Boys' High School, and also played Interclub for his home club, Malvern Squash Club.
After completing a Bachelor of Sport and Recreation Management at Lincoln University, Ryan has come back to the sport and is excited to work with different ages and groups to provide them with positive squash experiences. He can be contacted at juniordev@squashcanterbury.co.nz
We are also lucky to have the services of Julie Brown as Participation Activator for Marlborough, who started in the role in April. Julie has already started engaging with schools in Blenheim to provide them with squash opportunities, and is also getting a junior after school programme and Junior U900 series up and running.
The Squash Canterbury AGM will be held on Friday 28 May at the Christchurch Football Squash Club, and via Zoom, at 7:30pm.
All members are welcome, and clubs are encouraged to send appointed representatives for voting matters.
The bar will be open, and nibbles will also be provided.
To register your interest in attending, or to acquire the Zoom link, please email info@squashcanterbury.co.nz
It is that time of year again when we put the call out to clubs and members for nominations to be put forward for election to the Squash Canterbury Board at the Annual General Meeting (details of which are still being finalised but it shaping up to be in the last week of May).
The Squash Canterbury Board governs the direction of squash in our District and is instrumental in advocating for the needs and views of the District to the national governing body, Squash New Zealand. The time commitment is one meeting per month, which can be attended in person or via Zoom. There may also be times in between meetings where your input is requested on different matters, however this is predominantly done via email.
At the upcoming AGM there will be four seats up for election - two through resignations from current Board members and two through the requirement for current Board members to stand down at the end of their two-year term and be re-elected if they wish to do so. Any member of a club affiliated to Squash Canterbury can be nominated by another member of a club affiliated to Squash Canterbury. We encourage you to speak directly to any individuals who you think would be valuable to have on the Board, and champion them to consider being nominated and standing for election.
If you are interested in obtaining the Board Nomination Form, or have any questions or would like to discuss the positions further, please contact info@squashcanterbury.co.nz or 0275337348.
On behalf of the Board, staff and wider membership, Squash Canterbury would like to express its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mike Beresford after his passing, as well as to the Christchurch Squash Club and its members.
Mike was a beloved figure in the squash community, dedicating endless hours in a variety of volunteer positions - all with a smile on his face and a passion for not only the sport but also its participants.
Mike was instrumental in bringing together the new Christchurch Squash Club complex, which included him winning the 2019 Chairmans award at the Squash New Zealand Annual Awards. The Christchurch Squash Club then also won Outstanding Sports Club of the Year at the 2020 ORIX Canterbury Sports Awards, while Mike also won Administrator of the Year at the same awards.
Mike's legacy will continue to live on for generations to come, and it was more than a privilege to have him involved in the squash family.
Check out our range of FREE Girls April School Holiday Programmes all around Christchurch and Rangiora. They are all about having fun and meeting new friends, so register now at https://www.squashcanterbury.co.nz/registration/index.cfm
All equipment provide, just need to wear clean non marking court shoes.
Tuesday 20th April - Christchurch Squash Club
Wednesday 21st April - Rangiora Squash Club
Wednesday 21st April - Christchurch Football Squash Club
Wednesday 28th April - Burnside Squash Club
Thursday 29th April - Hoon Hay Squash Club
Friday 30th April - Linwood Squash Club
Squash Canterbury is looking for an enthusiastic and dedicated individual that has had success in fostering participation by individuals and groups in physical activity. They will be responsible for overseeing and coordinating sustainable long-term growth at the grassroots level of squash.
Some of the responsibilities of the Participation Activator include being able to:
· Lead, promote and manage positive relationships with clubs, volunteers and the wider squash community.
· Sustain, grow and promote all aspects of squash, including organization of events and developing bespoke initiatives to increase the number of participants at the grassroots level.
· Assist in developing relationships between clubs and schools which provide valuable links to engage with rangatahi and tamariki and expose them to the sport of squash.
· Develop relationships between Squash Canterbury, clubs and community groups to foster engagement with target audiences that traditionally have not participated in squash.
The role is based in Christchurch, and is 15 hours per week for a fixed term contract through to December 2021, with a view to starting as soon as possible. You will engage with clubs around Christchurch, and also in the Selwyn, Malvern and North Canterbury areas. Due to the role being entirely funded by grant funding, this means that the renewal of a 12-month fixed term contract for 2022 will be dependent on the receipt of grant funding for the following year.
Please contact the CEO at info@squashcanterbury.co.nz for the full position description.
Applications close at 5:00pm on Thursday 1 April. Short listed applicants will be contacted once applications ahve closed in regards to the next steps in the process. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified within five working days.
Our Junior Development Officer Di McCoy has been liaising with clubs and coaches to put together a fantastic offering of after school programmes for beginner juniors that would like to try out the sport of squash or enhance their squash skills.
It's all about having fun and meeting new people so head on over to www.squashcanterbury.co.nz/registrations/index.cfm to sign up!
It has been a year like no other, in so many ways, and while Squash Canterbury unfortunately wasn't in a position to host an awards event this year it was still important to us that we celebrated some fantastic achievements and acknowledged the incredible service that that different individuals contribute to our squash community.
Anastasia Lim, Rangiora Squash Club
Callum Brown, Greymouth Squash Club
Emily Keefe-Nicholls, Christchurch Squash Club
MP Johal, Hoon Hay Squash Club
Wayne Smith, Christchurch Squash Club
Kate Fox, Burnside Squash Club
Adam Odering, Christchurch Football Squash Club
Aaron Warner, Christchurch Football Squash Club
Paul Growcott, Christchurch Squash Club
Kelly Sullivan, Burnside Squash Club
Christchurch Squash Club
The Canterbury Open took place under Covid 19 Alert Level 2 conditions over the course of Friday 11th and Saturday 12th September at the Christchurch Squash Club. With a reduced field and minimal spectators in order to comply with the 100 people capacity and social distancing measures in place, the tournament had a different look to it but that didn't prevent fantastic and competitive squash from being played.
Emma Cormack extended her Canterbury Open Women's Champion title winning run after defending match points and going on to beat Grace Hymers, while Chris can der Salm toppled Oliver Johnston in a fiery clash to be crowned the Men's Champion. Both matches going the distance to five sets, and providing the crowd in attendance with some quality entertainment on a Saturday night.
A huge thank you to Adam Teo, the tournament organiser, for running a fantastic competition within the Government guidelines and allowing another unique chapter in the history of the Canterbury Open to be written. Thanks also must go to Bruce McEachen, Paul Growcott and the wider Christchurch Squash Club for their tireless contributions and efforts in the lead up and during the tournament.
The full results are as follows:
Men's Open - Winner: Chris van der Salm Runner Up: Oliver Johnston
Women's Open - Winner: Emma Cormack Runner Up: Grace Hymers
Men's One - Winner: Tom Marshall Runner Up: Matthias Paltridge
Men's Two - Winner: Thomas Cooper Runner Up: Ray Tahana
Men's Three - Winner: Dorian Monin Runner Up: Jacob Vanner
Men's Four - Winner: Brett Phillips Runner Up: Lawrence Skurr
Men's Five - Winner: Mark O'Connor Runner Up: Mat Parson
Men's Six - Winner: Timothy Petterson Runner Up: Robert Hanson
Women's One - Winner: Liza Tonkin Runner Up: Nadia Karati
Junior Division - Winner: Tanisha Butt Runner Up: Lewis Stewart
Squash Canterbury and Christchurch Football Squash Club regret to inform all competitors and supporters that due to the Covid-19 Alert Level 2 restrictions now in place, we are postponing the Canterbury Masters, Canterbury Junior Open and Canterbury Age Groups tournaments due to be held this weekend.We apologise for any inconvenience, particularly to those who were travelling to Christchurch to participate. The hope is that all three tournaments can be rescheduled to take place later in the year.
Committee members have now been emailed with the most up to date Government and Squash New Zealand guidelines on how clubs can operate safely under Alert Level 2. These include adhering to processes around social distancing, contact tracing, maintaining high standards of hygiene and sanitisation, and table service for bar offerings.
The guidelines can be found on the Squash New Zealand website at the following link, as well as a number of other helpful resources: https://www.squashnz.co.nz/for-clubs/covid-19.cfm
For any clubs that are scheduled to host events tonight, tomorrow or Friday, you are allowed to do so if you can operate safely within the Government and Squash NZ guidelines.
In regards to the coming weeks of scheduled interclub and other competitions, we will be able to make a more informed decision in the coming days once we know whether or not the Government will extend the Level 2 period.
The situation is evolving each hour, so we will do our best to communicate clearly to you and your members. In the meantime, we appreciate your patience and understanding, and the work you are doing to keep your members safe.
In the meantime, the things that you and your fellow members can also do to help stay informed are:
- Like Squash Canterbury on Facebook (Squash Canterbury News)
- Follow Squash Canterbury on Instagram (squashcanterbury)
- Check your emails regularly for updates
- Like Squash New Zealand on Facebook (Squash New Zealand)
- Check the Squash New Zealand website regularly as the guidelines are updated
Three of our Squash Canterbury junior members were named in the New Zealand Secondary Schools (NZSS) tournament team following the completion of the NZSS Squash Championships over the weekend in Tauranga.
Those selected were:
- Leonie Marshall (Captain)
- Chris Hebbard
- Charlie Prince
Great job Leonie, Chris and Charlie, we are very proud of you!
Great news released yesterday by Sport New Zealand that there will be another phase of the Community Resilience Fund to aid our clubs and organisation.
The fund is live, and our clubs have now been sent an email in regards to how they can make an application.
Kristy is available to assist clubs with their application, so please get in touch with her at info@squashcanterbury.co.nz if you have any questions.
For more details see here https://bit.ly/3fhjwmk
Squash Canterbury are excited to announce that Kristy Havill has been appointed as our new Chief Executive Officer. Kristy started in the role on Monday 27 July, so you can now get in touch with her for any enquiries at info@squashcanterbury.co.nz.
Read what she has to say below:
"It is a huge privilege to join Squash Canterbury as Chief Executive Officer, and I couldn't be more excited to start in this role.
While my squash experience has been limited to the odd hit around at the Kokatahi and Ahaura Squash Courts during my time growing up on the West Coast, sport has always been a huge part of my life. I played a variety of sports throughout my childhood and teenage years, but in recent times have represented New Zealand in clay-target shooting and also debuted for the Canterbury Magicians cricket team last season.
I have also coached, managed, match managed, umpired, refereed and volunteered across several different sporting codes, where the opportunities have taken me from New Zealand to Italy and Russia and back.
I completed a Bachelor of Sport and Recreation Management which, combined with the various roles that I have held in the sports sector in New Zealand, have set me up positively to give it everything I have to this CEO role.
I'm looking forward to getting out and about amongst the clubs, and to various tournaments and interclub nights to meet as many of you as I can. Please don't hesitate to introduce yourself, or to contact me at info@squashcanterbury.co.nz. Until then, keep warm and I'll see you soon!".
Dear Squash Canterbury Supporters,
We have decided to postpone our AGM from this Thursday to the 6th of August 2020 at BURNSIDE SQUASH CLUB. This will help to ensure we have all the detailed financial information available for review and, more importantly, give our new CE Kristy more time for her induction so she can be well prepared for this important meeting.
I know Kristie is looking forward to meeting members of our great squash community and the AGM will be an ideal opportunity for an early engagement with her. I hope you are able to attend.
🗣 Attention All Clubs! 🗣
Your club could be eligible for the Sport New Zealand Community Resilience Fund!
Thanks to Sport New Zealand for putting this together for the clubs that need it 🤝
Get ready to get your applications in!
Kia hiwa ra, Kia hiwa ra! Sport NZ has announced today an extra $25m available to the Play, Active Recreation and Sport sector. $15m of this funding is available for regional bodies and clubs through the Sport NZ Community Resilience Fund. This fund opens for applications on 11 May. Check out our website to find out if your club or regional body may be eligible for support as a result of COVID-19 impact. https://sportnz.org.nz/covid-19/sector-support-package
Looking for a Challenge..Looking for a way to support your Club.. Why not get involved?!
Please share with everyone you know and support your Club
The rules are on our Squash Canterbury Facebook Page
Do you want to refresh your refereeing skills?
Do you want to qualify or renew your club referee exam qualification?
New to refereeing and want to learn the basics?
Want to feel more confident when refereeing games?
Everyone who logs on and answers the club exam poll questions will be manually adjusted on iSquash to be a qualified Club Referee.
Whether you answer right or wrong our National refereeing panel will be there to explain the correct answer to ensure you pass!
This will be a learner-centered approach to getting your qualification rather than sitting the exam by yourself and scrolling through the rule book!
Register here and you will be emailed with more information: https://zoom.us/…/regi…/tJYocO-spjgoGtB5ndmmJT_ShBcso9-bILbz
If you have any questions please feel free to get in touch with Deanna: deanna@squashnz.co.nz
17 Apr 2020
Due to the impacts of covid-19; including funding being frozen, travel restrictions and players unable to currently take the court, it is with regret that New Zealand Senior Teams, due to be held at Hutt City, Wellington on the 28th-30th August have been officially cancelled for 2020.
The call has also been made to postpone New Zealand Senior Individual Championships on the 26th – 28th June, due to be held at North Shore Squash Club. We aim to hold this event from August onwards and an update will be provided on this following further government announcements – travel will play a major factor in this decision as well as player training time.
These decisions did not come lightly, but the decision was made for reasons stated above, and the safety of our squash community.
19 Mar 2020
In line with the increasing preventative measures in response to Coronavirus (COVID-19) and our collective responsibility to the wider squash community, Squash New Zealand and the 11 squash districts have suspended all National and District run events/competitions/training squads until May 1st effective immediately. It is strongly advised that clubs follow this lead and suspend all club events and competitions until the same date May 1st effective immediately.
National events affected:
Aon New Zealand Junior Open – Postponed until further notice
All high-performance squads – Cancelled between 19th March 2020 and 1st May 2020
District competitions/events affected:
All District run Interclub – Cancelled between 19th March 2020 and 1st May 2020
All District Opens - Cancelled between 19th March 2020 and 1st May 2020
All District run training squads – Cancelled between 19th March 2020 and 1st May 2020
Decisions about attendance at any squash activity should be made with regard for the best interests of yourself, your whanau and your community.
Squash New Zealand and the squash districts will continue to monitor the ever-changing situation. Please continue to check in with the Squash New Zealand website www.squashnz.co.nz and the social media channels for further updates.
For more information on the virus visit:
Back by popular demand!!
A great initiative to help grow and develop our female players in the Canterbury Region
Open to all female junior graded and ungraded junior players.
Oxford – 21st March 2020
Burnside – 3rd May 2020
Christchurch – 30th August 2020
Sumner – 17th October 2020
To sign up go to Squash NZ - https://www.squash.org.nz
The 2020 NBS Nelson Squash Open$500 1st prize in Open divisions!Starting Friday 13th March and ending on Saturday 14th MarchTwo matches to be played on Saturday.Some games may be played prior to the 13th.Divisions of eight.Prize giving & light food will commence after the final games.Limited to the first 96 entries.ENTER ON iSQUASH!Ladies please let me know if entering mens comp!
Entry fee $35 which also includes light food over weekend to be paid to the Tournament Controller on arrival! $10.00 fee for non players who wish to partake in light food over the weekend.Party on Saturday Night - Come as your favourite horror film character.Bank a/c no for online payment:03-1354-0255945-00 Make sure you use your Squash ID number as a reference!!!
Have a look at this post if you're girl (or know of a girl) that wants to try out and start squash. Run by the lovely Di McCoy at Burnside Squash Club, if you want more details then look at the contact information on the poster.
Courts start from $10's for a 30 minute booking per court. Squash HQ is situated at 8 Takaro Avenue, Sockburn, the venue has 4 squash courts, changing rooms and parking. Rackets and balls are available on request. Click on the book now button above or register now at www.pay2play.co.nz, down load the app and get playing. For further information contact Vaughan Utteridge on 0275 521281
The finals for Women’s Div. 1 took place at Burnside club on Tuesday 3 December with 6 teams involved. This round of Spring interclub proved to be quite fun with the weather warming up. Due to the warmer weather the ball was much bouncier, which meant all players had to adjust to the new dynamics this brought on the court.
Four Cantabrians were recently recognised for their achievements at the Squash NZ Annual Award; Janet Udy received the Derek Cook Memorial Trophy for Refereeing, Mike Beresford received the Chairperson’s Award, Adam Odering won the Club & School Coach of the Year Award and Paul Coll won the Squash New Zealand Personality of the Year.
When: 9.30am – 3.30pm 9th & 10th January @ Squash HQ
Coaches: Paul Hornsby & Adam Odering
To book: contact Adam Odering – adam.odering@gmail.com 022-313-7717
At our Annual Awards on Saturday 2ndNovember, the winners were announced for the Christchurch Winter Interclub Best Performing Male, Female Teams and Club. The stage was stolen, by Rangiora Squash Club who won all three titles. Rangiora have performed incredibly well during the Winter competition in both Men’s and Women’s divisions, which included three of their teams being announced as finalist for Best Performing Team.
The winners were calculated using an incrediable detailed and complicated assessment system, which was created by current board members and statistician, Paul Monk.
It is with some sadness, but with a lot of satisfaction that I have resigned from the board of Squash Canterbury. This is a requirement as being part of the Squash NZ board, where the rules state that one is unable to hold positions on district boards.
I’m confident that the current board has the skills, energy and ability to take the game forward in a positive way and build significantly on what has been achieved previously.
Players and parents enjoyed some great competition, with 63 keen junior players fronting up weekly to play in 1 of 4 divisions.
I have been overseeing the division 4 players during the winter competition, and the improvement over the 10 weeks has been huge resulting in some wonderful games being played and many 5 setter matches each week being enjoyed.
Ryan Ko (2) has made the U15 Boys Final after beating fellow Cantabrian Liam Gale in the semis. He will play the top seed Apa Fatialofa Jr at 12.05pm on court 2 Liam (3) will play for 3rd place against fifth seed Noah Thomas at 12.05pm on court 1.
Also, in the U15 Boy’s Chris Hebberd (7) beat Charlie Prince (8) in the 7th and 8th playoff and Jack Frisken (14) finished 14th and Jethro Moran (25) finished in 26th place.
In the Girls U15, Petra Curd-McCullough (5) finished in 5th place and Moriya Karati (7) finished in 8th place.
Well done to all the juniors on their performances so far, what a great experience for you all and all the best on your performances today. Some big games today. We look forward to seeing how you get on.
I first started playing squash when I was about 10 years old at a little club in the Waikato. By the time I was 13 a wonderful man called Butch Gifford took me under his wing and coached me for the next few years in the Waikato Junior Squads. I was lucky enough to be playing in the younger Waikato teams when Susan Devoy was playing in the top teams. It was a great experience to play Susan even if I was thrashed.
The Squash Canterbury District Awards are a celebration of the successes and achievement within our community. The winners of our awards are presented with trophies at our Annual Awards Event, which will take place from 2pm on Saturday 2nd November at the Sudima Hotel, Christchurch Airport.
Nominations are currently open for the District Awards and close 9am on Monday 14th October
Nominations open to all. Get your nominations in today!!
It was the last week of Winter Interclub and there was still plenty on the line for people to be playing for with two teams on 60 points each. With Christchurch 2 and Football 1 some sort of upset needed to occur for either team to be the clear winner. Christchurch 1 were able to put out a strong team for this final match to try take down Football 1 whereas Burnside unfortunately lacked Scott Gardiner after he rolled his ankle last weekend.
This week was the climax of the 2019 Winter Interclub round for the Division One ladies. Spirits were high as each team was hopeful to come out on top of their playoff, and there were lots of supporters around to cheer each other on! All the div one games were played at Christchurch Football this week.
What started as a casual hit around at the gym with her father and brother, has turned into a full-fledged passion for squash.
Sixteen-year-old Lily Collier was recently named as a non-travelling reserve in our Canterbury Team for the South Island Junior Age Groups Tournament – and has KiwiSport funding to thank.
Lily began playing squash last year on one of our KiwiSport funded programmes targeting girls over the age of 13.
A self-confessed ‘sporty girl,’ Lily plays a variety of sports throughout the year including cricket, indoor cricket, basketball, volleyball, and netball, but nothing has got her hooked like squash.
“I love the open and inviting environment, even if you are a top player, you give back to the community by coaching, refereeing or volunteering. I have never met people like them - the community is amazing.”
3 Days, 10 Teams, 38 Games and heaps of awesomeness!!!!
Koru Games is a multi-sport tournament for year 7 & 8 children at South Island schools. The 2019 games took place across the Selwyn District 17th – 19th September.
No one would’ve have picked it that after 9 weeks of squash that the Christchurch Men’s Open Squash Interclub has two teams sitting on top with 60 points each! Football 1 has been leading the competition up until now and after a couple of losses they are looking at the potential of finishing second in the competition a second time this year. However, they will be counting their lucky stars after Football 2 did manage a match off Christchurch 2, meaning Christchurch couldn’t claim top spot with one week to play. Come down to Burnside Squash club to see how it all unfolds this Tuesday, Sept 24 at 7pm and whether you’re a Christchurch or Football supporter, either team could do with the support to help get them the title.
Things are starting to get quite interesting in the Christchurch Men's Open Squash Interclub as we get closer to the end of the 10-round round-robin. With no finals to play, it will be the team with the most points after round 10 and this week we've seen the top of the top tighten up a great deal.
Next weekend, 24 of our juniors will be in Ashburton for the South Island Junior Age Groups Team Event. Eight teams compete (U11, U13, U15 & U17 Boy’s and Girl’s), against the other South Island Districts for the age group titles and the overall trophy. Last year Canterbury won 4 golds and the overall trophy. It’s a great experience for the juniors, along with gaining the experience of competition and representing Canterbury, it’s also a great opportunity to create and build friendships, in what can be a lonely sport at times.
We're nearing the end of the round, and things are heating up in division one as semi-finals were upon us. Matches last week were played mostly at Burnside, with the 6/7 playoff being moved to Christchurch, due to a faulty light bracket on Burnside's court 4.
As the Christchurch Winter Interclub comes to an end, have a look to see who has made the Women’s Finals….
Division 1 – The final will be played at Christchurch Football on Tuesday; Hoon Hay 1 v Burnside 1
Division 2 – The final will be played on Tuesday at Burnside; Football 3 v Hoon Hay 2
Division 3 – Have one more week of round robin. The finals will be played at Christchurch SC on the Tuesday 24th September. Currently Rangoria 1 are top of the table on 80 points, followed by Sumner on 71.
Last weekend, our Junior Team’s came together for a training camp in Blenheim. The camp went really well, and the kids all put in a fantastic effort!
The next time they will all come together is at the NZ Junior Inter-district Team Championships, which will take place at the beginning of next month in Auckland.
As the Christchurch Men’s Winter Interclub comes to an end, have a look to see who has made the finals….
New Zealand held their heads high once again after coming away with a win against our rivals the Aussies.
Our best Girls tournament yet, what a wondeful day we had, 26 girls entered our Junior Girls Touranment held at Christchurch Squash Club on Sunday 8th September. We had 4 Divisions ensuring all girls got competive matches, including a Division of Ungraded players, all these girls currently enjoying after school coaching programmes or having competed in previous girls compeitions.
Last week, the teams were split between Burnside and Linwood and tonight, they are looking forward to some heated semi-finals being played at Burnside Squash Club.
Well after week 7, the Christchurch Men's Open points table has got very interesting. With the Senior National Teams Event just finished a few of the team’s No.1's were standing down which allowed for some interesting results.
The next couple of weeks are going to provide some interesting results with the table tightening up thanks the Burnside 1 beating Football 1. Christchurch 1 is now 13 points away from Football 1 at the top of the table having already had both their byes. Additionally, these two teams will be playing each other this week and one would have to think that the winner would likely win the competition too. If you want to catch the action, then round 8 will be at Football Club.
Week 6 of the Christchurch Men's Open Interclub went back to Christchurch club and with no Football 1 it meant that all the teams had a chance to catch some points up on the table toppers.
This week we are going to Burnside for round 8 as Burnside 1 takes on Football 1 (hopefully we see Adam Odering v Scott Gardiner) and Christchurch 2 versus Football 2.
Last Tuesday the Women’s Division 1 all convened at Squash HQ. This week’s final round robin games will be played in two venues; Linwood and Burnside.
Congratulations and well done to our Men’s and Women’s teams who finished 3rd and 6th, at 2019 NZ Senior Inter-district Team Championship on Saturday.
The Championships took place on Friday and Saturday at Christchurch Squash Club. The event featured the cream of New Zealand squash playing for their province to secure bragging rights for top team for 2019.
Last week, the division 1 ladies revisited the new Christchurch club for the night’s matches.
This Friday/Saturday at the Christchurch Squash Club, 50 Colombo St, the club is holding the Senior National Inter-District Teams event. This event features the cream of New Zealand squash playing for their province to secure bragging rights for top team for 2019. The event this year has attracted 9 teams from 9 Provinces each featuring a Men's and Women's team with Canterbury selections as follows;
Week 5 of the Christchurch Men's Interclub was again at Football club and as the draw worked out the Football teams got to face it out again whilst Burnside 1 subbed in for Christchurch 2 this week. Tonight the teams will be playing at Christchurch Squash Club.
Our final two district tournaments of 2019, the Canterbury Masters and U23’, took place weekend of the 17th and 18th August at Sumner Tennis and Squash Club.
Thank you very much to Sumner Tennis and Squash Club, it’s committee and members for hosting this event on behalf of Squash Canterbury and for doing an awesome job; their first tournament in over 20 years!
Also, a massive thankyou to Di Brewer the Tournament Organiser, and all the Sumner and Linwood club members who volunteered their time to ensure the event ran smoothly and providing a welcoming environment.
Well last week was an interesting one, as week 4 of the Christchurch Interclub Men's Open took place at Football club where Interclub lost its meaning as Christchurch 1 played Christchurch 2, and Football 1 played Football 2. As a result, teams were eager to prove they were the better club team and whilst match scores may have seemed one sided, the sets were very well contested and often decided by the tie-break.
It was another exciting week of squash and no doubt this week will be the same. If you want to catch the action live and maybe want to see that this write up is somewhat factual then go to Football club tomorrow night at 7pm.
Last week we saw the division split between two venues, with half of the teams playing at Linwood, and the other half playing at Burnside. Next week we will all be back together, playing again at the Christchurch Club!
The Canterbury Teams for the South Island Junior Age Groups Teams Event were announced on Sunday 11th August by David Hawes, Squash Canterbury Board Chair, at the Canterbury Junior Open Prize Giving.
The South Island Junior Age Groups Teams Event, a team event between Canterbury, Midlands, Otago and Southland, will take place in Ashburton from the 20th – 22nd September.
In 2018, Canterbury won the event, and, this year will look to retain the trophy.
On behalf of the Squash Canterbury board, the selectors and community we wish all the players well in their performance and all the best in securing the trophies for the district.
What a great weekend for our wonderful Juniors to be playing Squash, with a weather forecast which included snow, wind and rain it was the perfect weekend to be indoors playing and watching some fantastic Squash from both our experienced players and our developing players.
With 52 entries the touranement offered 6 x 8 draws and 1 x 4 draw, ensuring all games were well matched.
Twenty five setter games were enjoyed by players and specators over the weekend with 4 of these games ending 15/13 in the 5th, another two ended 16/14, 1 more ended 17/15 and two pused it out to 18/16 in the 5th. Fantastic.
Week 3 of the Christchurch Men's Winter Interclub Squash Open division took place last week and it was the first week of Men's Open to go to the new Christchurch Squash Club facility. It was a great chance for Christchurch's best to test out the new courts. Though the match times weren't that long, it’s just proof that not everyone has become use to the new court with no 5 setters this week but the good news is that no one will be too sore after the night's play.
Last week the Division One ladies all convened at Burnside Squash Club for the nights games.
Welcome back everyone to the Christchurch Men’s Open Squash Interclub - Winter Edition. Now that we’re past June, I’m sure everyone would agree that they’re enjoying seeing the days getting longer which also means that the big events on the calendar are coming up for our top players too. Hence this round of interclub will be quite important for many players as they try find form going into these big events.
The NBS West Coast Squash team hosted the 43rd Annual Heaphy Shield Tournament in Hokitika over the weekend. The top squash players from Nelson and Marlborough travelled down to compete against the Coast.
13th & 14th July 2019 in Christchurch
It was a fantastic showing of Juniors from both the North and South Island with some stunning matches displayed throughout the tournament. It was also the first tournament hosted by Christchurch Squash Club in their brand-new facility featuring 8 courts.
After a couple of weeks off, it was great to see all the Division One ladies all at the central venue of Christchurch Football last night. Some new faces to the division will hopefully add the great mix of matches that we'll see on court over the next few weeks!
The Convenor of Selectors Craig Hibbert announced the following teams to compete in this year’s event, which is being held 30th and 31st August at the NEW Christchurch Club 8 court complex, Colombo Street.
We are a very proud province in the Master’s ranks with the announcement that 4 Canterbury players make up 25% of this year’s NZ Test series team recently announced to compete in October against Australia in 3 tests in Timaru.
Last week was the finals week of Heller’s Autumn Men’s Open Squash Interclub and the winners are in and the wooden spoon has been decided. The night kicked off with a number of keen individuals taking to the court pre-7pm at warm up with some three quarter court, a first for the Open but maybe not a last. As the matches kicked into gear it would be fair to say that everyone was in a good mood and there were a number of supporters down (mainly supporting Squashways) to add to the atmosphere. Here’s a look at how the finals all played out.
Well team, its end of an era as this week the last interclub games are to be played at Squashways and the Christchurch club; Squashways closes down the end of July and Christchurch move into their new facilities at the Cashmere Club, both buildings are set for demolition. So I know it’s going to be a tough time for those of you playing at those clubs but hold back the tears as there is still some squash to be played. There are 7 finals going on tomorrow and plenty of people who will be playing there for last time for the Cashmere and Squashways club as many will likely become members of Christchurch SC.
Good Luck to all the Cantabrians taking part in the Barfoot and Thompson NZ Nationals this weekend. Most of New Zealand’s best will be converging in Auckland this weekend and whilst there are some notable Cantab’s missing from this years draw, our impact will still be felt by those going.
19th– 23rd June, Burnside Squash Club
The Canterbury Open was hosted by Burnside Squash club this year and was a great affair, with nearly all of Canterbury’s top players converging on the scene. Five days of scintillating squash were wrapped up by some high intensity play-offs finishing Sunday last week. Whilst the majority of the games were played at Burnside, the sheer number of entries at 160 people (122 men, 30 women, and 8 juniors) meant that Hoon Hay and Squashways got the tap on the shoulder to help with the overflow.
Sunday 23rd June 2019, hosted by Hoon Hay Squash Club
Our 3rd Junior Tournament in the 2100 series was a wonderful success, both on court and off. It is wonderful to see a day filled with evenly matched games on court, and junior players from all over Canterbury mixing and enjoying each other’s company off court.
A newly introduced “Ungraded Division” catered for children who have participated in either a Squash for Schools programme, attended a squash after school programme, or who regularly attend junior club coaching to “Have a go” at a competitive game alongside our Junior Players. First round nerves were obvious with some of these players, however as the morning progressed, both confidence and the enjoyment of the experience grew. I am sure we will see some of these players again!
A massive thank you to Marliesje & the team at Hoon Hay Squash Club who helped out on the day, to ensure the tournament ran smoothly. With a record number of entries don’t miss out on the next date in the Series Sunday 28th of July at Burnside, entries are open now register through i-squash.
South Island Quadrangular - Dunedin, June 2019
Last weekend Canterbury fielded both strong men’s and women’s teams consisting of 2 masters, 3 seniors and 3 juniors.
Its semi-finals time and it was certainly good to see a few ghosts coming out of the closets this week to give their team more of a chance. That being the impact of the ghosts didn’t change much as everything went according to plan. The strong teams dominated and the weak teams suffered but amongst it all were some grudge matches to be settled. Read below to find out if the scores were settled.
This year’s Canterbury Open is going quite the spectacle with nearly all the top players from around Canterbury and further afield will be converging at Burnside Squash Club this weekend. Entries are up on last year’s Canterbury Open with over 160 people entered, making for over 10 draws with even a junior draw in the mix. The way the draws have panned out means there won’t be too many one sided affairs this weekend and whether you’re new to squash or a 40 year veteran, there will be great games for everyone to come down and watch.
Di and Ella are local champions creating opportunities for young people in schools through squash.
"It's always so rewarding to see children laughing and enjoying the sessions."
If your reading this then you have your priorities right, that or you’re sick of turning on the TV and finding cricket live, replays or highlights. None the less Week 7 of Heller’s Autumn Interclub Men’s Open was much more interesting than any game at the Cricket World Cup. With the last round of round robin at Squashways the low roof and warm conditions proved ideal for fast paced, attacking squash that would’ve made anyone sweat. Here’s a summary of what happened.
Greymouth attracted credible entries for the 2019 Canterbury Junior Age Groups Tournament, no doubt helped by their excellent track record of event organisation and hospitality. Of 33 players, 10 were West Coast origin, 3 from Marlborough and the balance from Christchurch. There was a notable turnout of six CBHS boys.
Squash Canterbury would like to say a massive thank you to Brendan Giles, the Tournament Director and the Greymouth Squash Club and committee members for doing an amazing job in hosting the tournament. We would also like to thank Tim Preston for the awesome write up and Jo Clark and Paul Growcott for their help behind the scenes.
Their were upsets this week as some weak teams did well and some strong teams struggled. It was most likely the last ever Men’s Open Interclub matches at the Chester St. East Christchurch club which obviously gave a lift to the two home teams as they took full points each from the round.
Week 5 of the Hellers Autumn Men’s Open Squash Interclub was taken to Burnside. Whilst it may have been Burnside’s hunting ground, Football club was in hot form this week as both their teams came away with wins and Burnside was left icing two losses.
The 2019 Canterbury Open will take place at Burnside Squash Club 20th (Thurs) – 23rd (Sun) June 2019. Entries close Friday 14th June.
Congratulations to the following players who have been selected to represent Canterbury at the 2019 South Island Quadrangular Tournament. The Quadrangular Tournament is an event between Canterbury, Midlands, Otago and Southland and will take place in Dunedin on the 15th & 16th June.
Some fantastic squash played at Squashways on Tuesday in round 4 of Heller's Interclub Men's Open division; every moment of the night there was a quality match being played
Burnside went head to head. The Midland boys showed their strength and wins for Christchurch 1 and Football 1.
26 – 28 July
Check out the Player Eligibility Rules. Changes have been made. 3 weeks to go for 12th June deadline for player transfers.
The Hellers Autumn Interclub Men’s Open Division was back at Christchurch Football Squash Club this week where the courts were nice and warm for a great standard of play. This week’s round of interclub saw some very clinical squash as players started to find their grove as quite notably no five-setters were witnessed.
On Sunday the 5th of May our second Junior Girls tournament was held at Burnside club. There was a good turn out with 15 juniors entered, and a good representation of clubs, including one girl travelling down from Marlborough!
Has it just expired? Is it about to expire?
This table shows the number of *graded players per club who have a current club referee qualification.
Christchurch Football just holds onto 1st place in our Club Referee and awesome work by Marlborough Old Boys who jumped from the bottom of the table to top.
This weeks men’s open interclub round was held at Christchurch club. Some dominant team performances were displayed as well as some closer battles
My squash started at Christchurch Boys’ High School where I went from playing their social squash program when I first started to being the Captain of Squash in my final year. Before squash, I was always a keen cricket player but it was the warmth I received from the squash community that made me addicted to the sport.
It was a great first week of autumn interclub in the Men’s Open division with all 8 teams meeting at Christchurch Football Squash Club. There was great energy about the club with all players keen to start the year off well. All teams were competitive and some close matches were witnessed meaning the difference between a win or a loss for a team.
To compete in the Christchurch Interclub program and Squash NZ events – such as Champion of Champions & Nationals, all players must have completed the online club referee exam within the last two years
The excitement all starts on Monday when the Men’s and Junior Interclub competitions start, followed by Women’s and the Men’s Division Open starting on Tuesday.
For information on each of the competitions, click on the links below:
Congratulations to Tom Marshall and Nic Dann, from Marlborough, who were part of the winning NZ Team.
Sunday 7th April, Christchurch Squash Club
Our 1st junior 2100 tournament for the year was a wonderful success. The tournament was well supported with a record number of entries for the first in the series, with 40 junior players competing in 5 Divisions. The Tournament was hosted by Christchurch Squash Club.
No.6 12-4-2019
The 2019 Canterbury Sports Awards took place on Friday 29th March at the Wigram Air Force Museum.
The Awards are the region's iconic celebration of sporting achievement, recognising coaches, officials, athletes and administrators. Squash had a great representation with six nominees;
This week’s newsletter includes:
23-24 March, Waimea Squash Club
Congratulations to all those that took part in the Nelson Bays Junior Age Groups tournament at the weekend.
This week’s newsletter includes:
Sport Canterbury is running an awesome series of 'Grow Your Club' capability development workshops. Perfect for supporting volunteers and paid sports administrators to lead quality, effective and sustainable clubs.
Their first workshop is a Finding Funding Workshop on Tuesday 19th March. This will provide you and your club with essential information for sourcing and applying for funding within the community sport sector across Canterbury. There will also be the opportunity to ask questions and discuss current problems and issues with our team and other local clubs.
For further info go to https://www.sporty.co.nz/sportcanterbury/Events/Calendar
I am delighted to be continuing in the role of Squash Canterbury’s Junior Development Officer again for 2019. I am very fortunate as both a Squash Player myself, and as a parent of a junior player I feel I understand well what is needed to both support our existing players, and grow our number of players in this wonderful sport. We are very fortunate to have great clubs in Canterbury and within our Squash region keen to develop their junior programmes. I look forward to seeing you at the courts soon!
2019 – What a very exciting year ahead!!
A massive congratulations to Barry Gardiner who was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2019 New Year’s honors for services to Sport, particular squash.
Congratulations and well done to all our juniors who took part in the NZ Junior Individual Championships.
A massive congratulations to Paul Moran who won the U15 Boy's Championships. This is an outstanding result we are all very proud of you.
After many months of work and fund-raising activities by the committee at the Christchurch Squash Club, work has begun on the construction of their new facilities to accommodate 8 courts at Cashmere to be known as the Don Preston Squash Centre.
With no rest for the wicked, the Canterbury Junior teams headed straight into teams’ event only a few hours after completion of individuals. Both Canterbury teams headed into the event as 4th seeds.
We are happy to the announce the work has been completed and our website is not only looking good it is also now friendly on all types of devices.
Paul Coll v Diego Elias
The 2018 Annual Awards Evening will take place Friday 9th November at The Rydges Latimer Hotel, 30 Latimer Square, Christchurch.
Come join us for this exciting evening of recognition & celebration.