New Zealand Deaf Rugby looking to grow

In April the New Zealand Deaf Rugby Football Union (NZDRFU) toured Argentina for the first time.

The 21-strong Deaf Blacks touring squad competed in three matches, winning two and missing out in one. The squad featured club players from Auckland, Counties Manukau, Waikato, Manawatu, Wellington, Canterbury and Mid Canterbury, and was selected following the annual Easter tournament between the Northern, Central and Southern Zone teams. This year the Southern team won the NZDRFU Rugby Shield, which has been contested since 1994.

The team’s results in Argentina were:

• Saturday, 23 April 2016, v Argentina Deaf at Cordoba 19-15 won
• Wednesday, 27 April 2016, v Suri R.C. at San Salvador of Jujuy 9-14 lost
• Saturday, 30 April 2016, v Argentina Deaf at San Salvador of Jujuy 18-16 won

Since 2001, the New Zealand Deaf Blacks have regularly played series against their Australian counterparts, the Silent Knights. They last met in Christchurch a year ago, with the visitors winning 15-13 and taking home the Cochlear Cup.

Next year the Deaf Blacks and Silent Knights will join eight other teams at the Deaf World Cup in Cardiff, Wales. The Deaf Rugby World Championship is run every four years by the international governing body, World Deaf Rugby.

The NZDRFU was founded in 1991 by Kevin Pivac, who was also the founder and the Chairman of World Deaf Rugby (formerly the International Deaf Rugby Organisation) from 1998 until earlier this year.

The NZDRFU is currently looking for more players from around the country who are capable of playing for the New Zealand deaf /hearing impaired side, says Pivac.

“Players do not need to be profoundly to play deaf rugby. To qualify, senior level players need an average hearing loss of 25dB bilaterally. This translates to a mild level of deafness in both ears or a moderate level of deafness in one ear but normal hearing in the other. Whether players wear hearing aids or only communicate by sign language, they are able to communicate and play rugby as a standard team.”

NZDRFU Contact Information:

For more information and to find out more about playing or supporting deaf rugby in New Zealand go here 

New Zealand Deaf Rugby objectives:

• NZDRFU promotes the participation of Deaf and hearing impaired players in rugby activities.
• NZDRFU fosters Deaf international or inter-zone matches.
• NZDRFU acts as a central advisory, consultative and co-ordinating body related to rugby events, games and activities for Deaf and hearing impaired players.

New Zealand Deaf Blacks – some history

• The first ever International Deaf Rugby Test Series was held in New Zealand in 1995 between New Zealand and South Africa. South Africa won the series 2-1.
• In 1998, the New Zealand Deaf team visited in United Kingdom for the first time. The first International deaf rugby Test series between New Zealand and Wales was played. New Zealand won the series 3- 0.
• Wales were crowned world champions at the inaugural Deaf Rugby World Championships at Eden Park, Auckland in August 2002. Wales beat New Zealand 28-14 in the final. Australia finished third.
• The Deaf Sevens World Cup is also run in conjunction with the 15-man tournament. Australia were the inaugural champions in 2002.

The Deaf Blacks touring team to Argentina in April 2016 was:

Herbie Agnew (Linwood, Canterbury)
Toby Agnew (Linwood, Canterbury)
Tama Albert (Southern United, Waikato)
Darryl Alexander (Johnsonville, Wellington)
Reuben Buzzard (Shirley Old Boys, Canterbury)
Ryan Cassidy (Marist St Pat’s, Wellington)
Phillip King (New Brighton, Canterbury)
Mark Lewis (College Rifles, Auckland)
Brandon Lochore (Northern United, Wellington)
Dylan Louie (Papakura, Counties Manukau)
Mitchell Macpherson (College Rifles, Auckland)
Michael May (Linwood, Canterbury)
Petaera Meihana (Fielding Old Boys Oroua, Manawatu)
Paul Rautao (Johnsonville, Wellington)
Henry Schuster (Kia Toa, Manawatu)
Tane Stubbs (Poneke, Wellington)
Sailusi Toalima (Papakura, Counties Manukau)
Maara Tuare (Celtic, Mid Canterbury)
Theo Waterhouse (Marist St Pat’s, Wellington)
Ben Webb (Northern United, Wellington)
Kamau Wise (Southern United, Waikato)

Management
Gregory Pateman, Team Manager Christchurch
Clive Morgan, Head Coach Wellington
Paul Buzzard, Assistant Coach Christchurch
Dina Lewis, Physiotherapy Auckland
Thornton Peck, NZSL Interpreter Wellington

Guests
Tony Kuklinski, President NZDRFU Wellington
Cameron Ross, Treasurer NZDRFU Wellington
Kevin Pivac, Life Member NZDRFU Auckland