Chairman's Monday Musings
From the pen of Marist St Pats Chairman, Lourdaiz Ah Chong...
It would be remiss of me to not begin this Monday Musing’s by reflecting on the injury ravaged Premier Reserve team’s success over the weekend in beating the second placed Petone side by 29-26 in their Harper Lock Shield fixture.
A moment that made me immensely proud to be a part of the Red Machine and another example this season where I have seen our mantra of ‘One Club’ in action. The match day squad included myself as Chairman, our Strength & Conditioning coach, one Under 85’s player (who had the bye) and five Colts players who were all required to step up to help the club.
What stood out for me in this victory, and I am sure those supporters present at the Petone Rec, was the commitment, teamwork, determination, discipline and passion that this group displayed, something which has been nurtured and developed at Marist St Pats in 2024.
These things combined to create an extraordinary result. The win for me epitomises the “MSP Way” and is evidence that our club spirit is strong. It is also proof that this club’s greatest asset is the myriad of people from all walks of life who embrace our core values and call this place home.
Round 10 of the Swindale Shield saw our Premier Men take on our old foes Petone in the much-anticipated clash for the Bill Elvy Memorial Trophy. Although the final score may not have been in our favour going down by 31-37, the camaraderie and unity demonstrated by our team truly honoured Elvy’s memory.
We showed resilience in the last six minutes playing with 14 men to score a try on full time to take away two valuable competition points with three round remaining. Our Colts lost to Petone by 10-43, Presidents beat Northern United by 42-19, Netball Team 1 beat Queen Margaret College by 40-21 and Netball Team 2 drew 33-all with St Mary’s College Old Girls. The Reserve Grade ‘Internationals’ who played at Evans Bay Park remain unbeaten after a comprehensive victory over Paremata-Plimmerton by 58-22 in their opening game of the second round for Alan Seerup Cup.
Understanding that success goes beyond the scoreboard, Marist St Pats prioritises the well-being of its players. There is a focus on the physical, mental, and emotional health of our players. Our Director of Rugby, Sean Horan, has implemented an initiative called ‘Wednesday’s with Nick’ which is a weekly session designed to provide additional support to players facing challenges, reinforcing the sense of camaraderie that defines our club.
The welfare of our people is an area that we will continue to prioritise through targeted and informal initiatives in the coming years. We are not wanting to necessarily turn our players into ‘Mother Teresa’s’ - after all we are a rugby club first and foremost and a pretty tough and resilient one at that - but it is critical for our all our people: players, coaches, board members, volunteers, sponsors and supporters, to realise that we need to live by our stated values at all times. There is an incredibly positive and united culture building which is palpable.
Marist St Pats is committed to the pursuit of excellence and continuous improvement, and we will work tirelessly to lay a strong foundation for the future. We have quality members who bring different and complementary strategic and commercial skills to the table and all of whom put in a big effort in so many different ways.
Our focus will remain on developing our players on and off the field, supporting our coaches, and contributing positively to the community. After all it will be the collective effort of players, coaches, board members, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters that will make our club truly exceptional.
Previous editions of the Monday Musings
This weekend's action - 15 June 2024
| Grade | Opposition | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Premier Men
|
Avalon
|
Fraser Park at 2.15pm
|
| Premier 2 Men
|
Avalon
|
Fraser Park 2 at 12.30pm
|
| Colts
|
Avalon
|
Fraser Park at 12.30pm
|
| Reserve 'Internationals'
|
Wainuiomata
|
William Jones Park at 2.15pm
|
| Under 85kg Red
|
Avalon
|
Fraser Park 2 at 2.15pm
|
| Presidents 'MH Law Classics'
|
Northern United
|
Kilbirnie Park 3 at 2.15pm
|
| Netball 1
|
Wellington High 1
|
12.20pm at Akau Tangi Sports Centre
|
| Netball 2
|
Vic 7
|
1.25pm at Akau Tangi Sports Centre
|
MSP Supporters
Shamrock Club
