A history of Mitre 10 Cup launch activities
Every year, the Mitre 10 Cup is the competition that I most look forward to for a multitude of reasons. One of those reasons is the season launch.
Since 2012 – as far as I’m aware – team representatives have duked it out in some way, shape or form at the season launch in an attempt to gain the early edge on the competition. With the 2018 iteration taking place earlier this week, I decided to take a look through the archives and see just what the launch activities are all about.
2012 – Sin-Bins
This activity was ahead of its time. This was the first time – that I could find, at least – where teams took part in some friendly competition during the season launch, following suit after Super Rugby’s Jenga phenomenon one year earlier.
In 2012, ITM Cup coaches assembled at Auckland’s Shed 10 and were tasked with constructing a ‘sin-bin box’. We didn’t realise it then, but life was imitating art as this activity foreshadowed exactly where rugby was headed.
Before the building began, then-Auckland head coach Wayne Pivac – the next man to lead Wales – stated “I just don’t want to come last”, and vowed to beat his North Harbour and Northland opposition.
While it looks like Canterbury coach Tabai Matson received the top going for his handiwork at the launch, Pivac made good on his promise of beating his Blues catchment compatriots during the actual season as Auckland beat Harbour 36-13 during round robin play before finishing the competition as runners-up.
Launch Winner: Sorry, everyone gets 10 in the bin for this one
2013 – ITM Cup rides the Game of Thrones wave
In 2013 things got serious as the players were given their chance to shine. In similar fashion to 2012, competitors were again asked to construct something. This time we would move a little closer to the field, from the sin bin to the bench as players built wooden ‘fan thrones’.
Hosted at Auckland’s Unitec campus, players were aided by building apprentices and raced against each other to complete their thrones.
Wellington – led by All Black Jeremy Thrush – beat out a star-studded field and the recently relegated Hawkes Bay to claim the first silverware of the season. Thrush was one of four All Blacks present – the others being Nathan Harris, Rene Ranger and Jamie Mackintosh. Auckland’s Hadleigh Parkes and Canterbury’s Nasi Manu would go on to represent Wales and Tonga respectively.
Launch Winner: The ITM Mascot – I loved this guy in “Child’s Play”.
2014 – The Great Barbecue Cook-Off
2014 saw the ITM Cup launch take a step away from the construction site and into the kitchen as representatives from the 14 provinces came together for a historic barbecue cook-off. Players swapped their headgear for the toque blanche and whipped up some delicious burgers for a panel of judges to enjoy.
After plenty of research I couldn’t find the winner, but was able to find out that Wellington – represented by hard-hitting hooker Motu Matu’u – claimed third place.
Matu’u’s burger was reportedly titled ‘Paua to the People’, which gives us the chance to come up with some more food-based puns to decide who would have taken the top prize.
I feel like a lamb-based ‘Marty Shanks’ burger would have fared well for Tasman, but in my eyes, there is no looking past Counties Manukau’s ‘Aubergine Pulu’.
Launch Winner: Bad puns
2015 – Lunch Tables For Good
The 2015 ITM Cup launch signaled the end of an era. In its last year as the ITM Cup, the naming sponsor made a bold statement.
2015 saw team representatives back on the tools as they built lunch tables for the children of Auckland’s New Windsor School. For the first time, teams donned all-white jumpsuits, hiding the colours of their respective provinces to come together as one collective table-building force and show that this was about more than rugby. This was about the kids.
No doubt the kids appreciated the efforts, with one child dubbing Auckland first-five Dan Bowden’s effort “pretty average” before awarding it a “seven or eight” out of ten.
Heartwarming photos also captured players eating lunch with the children at the new tables. Later Counties Manukau flanker Jimmy Tupou was pictured reading to children, while Tasman’s Shane Christie and Otago’s Craig Millar manned the school traffic signs. Simply and truly inspiring.
Launch Winner: Everyone
2016 – Let’s Get Quizzical
2016 saw Mitre 10 take over naming rights for New Zealand’s provincial competition and the launch competition was downscaled. Construction was at a minimum as coaches assembled at Auckland’s Eden Rugby Club and put together miniature goalposts from PVC pipe.
Getty Image archives tell us there was some sort of quiz that took place, with teams from different regions joining forces. There is no evidence online of a winner, but my money would have been on Canterbury coach Scott Robertson.
Launch Winner: Probably Canterbury
2017 – Paint Bombs
The Mitre 10 Cup turned up the heat in 2017, with players asked to get a bit more creative.
Team representatives jumped into a time machine and were transported back to third form art class as they tried to find the true meaning of provincial rugby by firing paint bombs at a map of New Zealand to ‘mark their territory’.
Otago’s Sam Anderson-Heather showcased his ambition as the only player to miss the map entirely. To me, that just proves that he is willing to go above and beyond for his team.
Marking their territory at the @Mitre10Cup launch! What colours are you supporting this season? #Mitre10Cup #ShowYourColours pic.twitter.com/eWkpo1DQ7c
— Bunnings NPC (@BunningsNPC) August 8, 2017
In an interview with Josh Kronfeld on The Crowd Goes Wild, Hawke’s Bay halfback Brad Weber may have dropped the best soundbite of any provincial competition launch when he said Hawke’s Bay was set to usurp the Bay of Plenty as King of the Bays.
Weber justified his statement by arguing the latter would be too concerned with “checking out hot single mums walking up the Mount [Maunganui] in their activewear.”
Launch Winner: Brad Weber
2018 – Letterboxes
Finally, we arrive at the 2018 iteration. This year’s edition saw history made as, for the first time, representatives from both the Mitre 10 Cup and the Farah Palmer Cup made their way to Gribblehirst Park to launch the season.
The order of the day was letterbox decoration. Some teams came more prepared than others, with Northland’s Matt Moulds crafting his letterbox into a tough-looking Taniwha and Manawatu’s Brayden Iose and Nicole Dickins pulling out all the stops, including a wind turbine, flag and fidget spinners to boot.
Moulds’ solo effort was eventually crowned as best in show and Northland’s 2018 campaign was off to a perfect start.
Launch Winner: Snail Mail – it’s officially BACK
Comments on RugbyPass
Beautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to comments