The South Canterbury rugby team’s new captain Tristram Johnston will be taking a low key approach to leadership responsibilities.

Delighted to be appointed, the midfield back, 27, played for Temuka this season, after three years overseas.

In London he played rugby for Wasps, but at a more development level, so he could travel freely without disrupting a team.

Back into the serious stuff, he’s looking forward to leading the side, having been capped eight times previously. “It should be really good, there’s plenty of good blokes and they all seem keen,” he said.

He will also get to meet the three new loan players this weekend at a Heartland training camp.

Johnston said it was also excellent that the side would play three warm-up games, before the Heartland competition kicked off.

The first is against New Zealand Army in Timaru on August 15.

Tipping the scales at 100kg, Johnston is certain to have a big presence on the field.

Vice-captain of Temuka, his trademark is busting the midfield, and he is also strong runner and defender.

Johnston is the side’s third skipper in three year, after Luke Reihana and Tony Ward.

My name is Russell and I am from the UK. I have been playing for Temuka rugby club during the 2009 rugby season. Now the season has drawn to a close the President of the club asked me if I would like to write a few paragraphs about my experience with the club on their web site so potential players can read and have some sort of idea what to expect, which I am more than happy to do so.

When you arrive you will be well looked after by the club. You get picked up from the airport and taken back to Temuka. You will be given somewhere to stay and they will find you a job, all you have to do is turn up and play rugby!

You have two grades of rugby Senior A and Senior B and they play in the South Canterbury Union made up of 8 teams. Senior A play a good standard of rugby and if I had to make a comparison I would have say the top teams in the league would be of National 3 North and South standard and the lower teams would be of London 1 and 2 or where I come from the South West of England South West 1 and 2.

There is a fairly large gap between the two ends of the rugby league split between three town teams in Timaru and five country teams in the rest of South Canterbury. What I found unexpected when I started playing for Temuka was the long standing history between the clubs in the league. Not like back home where teams get relegated and promoted each year the same teams in NZ play each other every year.

What I enjoyed about this was you would play against teams who would have a long playing history against each other. An example would be when Temuka and Geraldine played this season for the Collogan’s cup; this is only played between these two teams. Temuka won the cup this year and the history of the cup goes back over 50 years.

There is other opportunity to win various cups throughout the season against other clubs which gives the games a little bit more edge. Also with the long standing history you get good camaraderie between the clubs and players and the watching spectators!

full story here …

The 2009 Temuka RFC Senior team won the The Ian Scott Memorial Cup (awarded to the winner of the South Canterbury Rugby  Senior Bottom Four Competition)  after they strangled Geraldine 15-3.

Below you can see photos of the team in action at Alpine Energy Stadium on Finals Day.

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Our Senior B side finished off the season with a good win over Celtic Red 19 – 12 to win the bottom four final and take home the Woods Cup.

Below you can see some photos from the final.

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Below you can see some of the JAB photos taken at the Pleasant Point club Day and our own Club Day in Temuka.

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Over the years South Canterbury rugby has been the home to the league of nations with players from all over the globe.

However, Temuka has landed a first with Japanese halfback Ken Otomo.

Otomo, 22, came to New Zealand to improve his English but has also found himself in action as the Magpies senior halfback, and he’s loving it.

Otomo was introduced to rugby at the University of Sangyo in Osaka while studying sports management.

A friend became aware he was a rugby player and took him out to Temuka and he has been a regular starter for the team.

Otomo said he was really enjoying playing rugby in New Zealand and had learned a lot.

“Temuka is a very good club and lots of fun.”

The one big difference was he was not used to playing on grass, having learnt his skills on an artificial surface.

Otomo is also enjoying the change of cultures especially the Kiwi food, but sometimes hankers just for a taste of home.

Temuka coach Regan Joyce said he has proved to be a great asset to the team.

“Ken’s got a beautiful pass both ways and certainly digs in to get the ball. He’s exactly what we’ve been looking for over the past couple of seasons.”

The coach said he was getting better every game.

Joyce said Otomo had fitted in well. “Ken seems to enjoy the rugby and the environment, he seems to like a few beers after a game with the boys.”