Community Activities

Each season the Otago Team get involved in a number of community programmes and activities, giving the Otago public a chance to meet the team, coaches and management.  

The players also welcome the opportunity to visit schools, workplaces and special events, so for any community requests please get in touch with Guy Hedderwick – guy.hedderwick@dunedinvenues.co.nz.  

The story so far – The Otago Team in the community…

Coaching Master Class - Thursday 30 September
The boys were at it again... pictured here running a coaching session for the two junior Maori teams who are playing in the curtain raiser at Carisbrook before the Canterbury versus Otago match on Saturday 2 October.  Pictured:  Sam Hibbard, Sean Romans, Joe Hill, Halani Aulika, Hoani Matenga and Andrew Parata.

 

Big Beard Shave-Off For A Great Cause
Four Otago players have been gorwing their beards for a great cause - raising money for a very special girl.  Daryl-Ann is a 3-year-old
with sever Cerebral Palsy and her family is raising funds for some specialised overseas treatment.  Otago hooker, Peter Mirrielees, has been leading the fundraising effort, and along with support from the Otago players, has raised over $10,000. Pictured below with young Darly-Ann is Fetu'u Vainikolo, Hoani Matenga, Liam Coltman and Peter Mirrielees. Also pictured are the girls from Lone Star who helped with the shave off.

 

Otago Team Visit Abbotsford Primary - 17 September
The team were at Abbotsford Primary School on Friday 17 September.  Passing on some knowledge about playing rugby for Otago and also getting outside with the pupils for some physical activity!  The Kapa Haka group also put on shared lunch for the team and performed a moving haka.  As part of the Otago Primary School Programme, each pupil received a free ticket to Sunday's game against Northland at Carisbrook.


Paula Kinikinilau, Glenn Dickson and Paul Grant are pictured spinning a few rugby yarns with the pupils.

Otago Staff Support RWC2011 - One Year To Go! 8 September
It was a team effort when the Otago staff (supported by Jo, Sarah and Paul from DVML) took on the Selwyn Ballet in the OYTG Spin It Wide Challenge.  ORFU managed to take the win, but it's about rugby (RWC) being the winner on the day!!


Zach, Todd 'Slow-hands' Pullar, Jimmy, TC, Yards, Jo, Sarah, Paul and Capt Perkins.

Otago Team Visit Mosgiel and Outram to support World Literacy Day  - 7 September
The team were at St Mary's, Elmgrove and Silverstream Primary Schools (Mosgiel) and Outram Primary School on Wednesday 7 September to support world literacy.  Passing on some trips on reading, knowledge about playing rugby for Otago and also getting outside with the pupils for some physical activity!  As part of the Otago Primary School Programme, each pupil received a free ticket to next Sunday's home game against Northland at Carisbrook

Hayden Triggs leading by example at Outram Primary School with a reading session with Room 4... although the young chap in the front may have nodded off!

Otago Team Support Blue September - Collectors at Hawkes Bay Game
At this Sunday's game against Hakwe's Bay the ORFU and the Otago Team are supporting Blue September. Every year about close to 600 men in New Zealand die of Prostate Cancer. Fathers, sons, brothers, grandfathers. Gone!  This happens because men don’t talk to their doctor about their prostate or what they need to do to take care of it - this has to change! Blue September is about getting the word out about prostate cancer and raising money to support ongoing awareness, research and support of sufferers.  If you paint your face blue, donate money to the Prostate Cancer Foundation or even pass the message on to a man in your life, you will be directly helping to lower the death rate and reduce the suffering from this disease.


Otago Team Keep It Clean - 4 September 2010
Otago team member Chris Small giving the Saturday St Kilda Beach clean the big thumbs up! The Otago Team continue their beach cleaning efforts around the Otago region with a clean at St Kilda Beach on Saturday.  The lads put in a good effort with 14 bags of rubbish removed.  Otago half back Johnny Legg could not believe the amount of rubbish picked up. 'This is pretty amazing, how much rubbish is dumped' he commented.  'In fact it's disgraceful' he added.  The Otago team will likely re-visit St Kilda next week, as there is still significant rubbish on the breach front.

Thumbs up - Otago Team: Josh Townsend, Ben Smith, Ryan Shortland, Chris Small, Johnny Legg & Liam Coltman

Otago Team Visit to Big Rock & Waihola Primary Schools - 3 September
The team were at Big Rock Primary School and Waihola Primary School on Friday 3 September.  Passing on some knowledge about playing rugby for Otago and also getting outside with the pupils for some physical activity!  As part of the Otago Primary School Programme, each pupil received a free ticket to Sunday's game against Hawke's Bay at Carisbrook.

Johnny Legg, Ryan Shortland and Josh Townsend at Waihola Primary School

Otago Team Keep It Clean - 25 August 2010
The Otago team has taken the initiative this week by starting a series of beach cleans across the Otago region.  The team started today at Blackhead beach where they collected seven black bags of rubbish from the beach and surrounding car-park and access road.

Otago number 8 and All Black Adam Thomson was among eight of the Otago players involved in the clean. 

‘This is an Otago team call, as we want to do something that will have a positive impact on the community’ Thomson commented.

Otago Halfback, Sean Romans, was also part of the cleaning team and saw the immediate impact of the clean.

‘It hard to believe that there is so much rubbish left, and it’s great to see we can help’  Commented Romans.

The Otago team will be split into groups of 8 players, and over the course of the next 7 weeks, they will be visiting different beaches with the purpose of cleaning the rubbish and welcome any support from the public.


Photo:  The Otago lads pretty excited by their beach clean


Photo:  Hoani Matenga working hard at Blackhead Beach

Otago Team Visit to St Mary's & Tokoiti Primary Schools - 24 August
The team were in Milton to pass on a few tips to the pupils at St Mary's Primary and Tokoiti Primary on Tuesday. 

Otago Team Visit - Dunedin Childrens Ward - 13 August 2010
Four members of the Otago team put a few smiles on faces at the children's ward at Dunedin hospital on Friday 13 August.  Pictured are Blair Young, Chris Noakes, Ben Noland and Seko Kalou with ward manager Shae Corrigall.


Otago Team Visit Palmerston Primary - 12 August 2010
Hayden Tiggs, Josh Tatapu, Ben Nolan and Chris Noakes visited Palmerston Primary and presented each pupil wity a ticket to the footie this weekend.  The players also gave out season posters, signed a few autographs and ran the kids through a few drills.  Great stuff!


Pupils at Palmerston Pirmary with their Otago season poster

Otago Team goes into camp – July Update
This week the Otago Team went ‘up country’ and into camp thanks to some country hospitality.  The team spent the first part of the week in Arrowtown camping ground, getting back to basics and team building.  The team ran a couple of public training sessions, two at the Queenstown event Centre and a couple at the Waikatipu Rugby Club.  A number of elite junior players from local clubs were invited to train with the team and learn some new skills and ideas.  The team also managed to fit in some primary school visits to St Josephs, Queenstown Primary and Arrowtown Primary.  Departing Arrowtown, primary schools were visited in Alexandra, Clyde and Roxburgh.  The team rounded out the camp with some time working on local farms around the Lawrence area for two days.  The team appreaicted all the support received form the locals from around the central region.

Warm-up in Balculta - Otago met Southland in Balcultha duing July and this gave the team the perfect opportunity to visit some local primary schools around the Balculta region and also get back to basics by being bilited by the local rugby community.  It was a superb buildup to the Southland pre-season game.

Delta Super Coaches - June Update
Leading into the 2010 ITM Cup Season, the Otago squad have been coaching junior players around local club teams in a bid to pass on some helpful tips to the junior stars of the future.  The Delta Supers Coaches programme, has been supported by local Dunedin company, Delta, and involved Otago players coaching junior club teams during the week and then offering coaching support and advice on game day as well.  The response has been superb to this programme, as the players have enjoyed getting back to grass roots junior footie.  Following the feedback and success of this programme, it is planned to run the Delta Super Coaches for the 2011 season also.

Club Training Sessions - May Update
The Otago team has been around the club grounds as part of a pre-season training programme that had involved club coaches and players.  Otago Coaches, Phil Mooney and Dave Latta, have been delivering Otago training sessions at nine of the twelve Dunedin metro clubs, giving club coaches and players the opportunity to get some coaching insights from the head coaches this season.  The programme has been well received by all club coaches, and has given new Otago Coach, Phil Mooney, the chance to meet the local coaches on their turf.