Canterbury North’s interclub season came to a fitting conclusion on Sunday 24 May at Waimakariri Golf Club, with teams from across the region gathering for Finals Day to decide the destinations of the Kaikoura Cup, Gardner Cup and Templeton Cup after weeks of fiercely contested round robin and playoff action.
With Finals Day combining morning foursomes match play and afternoon singles, every team arrived knowing depth, momentum and composure would be crucial in the race for silverware.
Kaikoura Cup finalists emerge from strong regular season campaigns
The season’s premier Kaikoura Cup competition saw the top four teams from round robin play advance to the title playoffs, with Rangiora Green finishing at the top of the standings after an impressive regular season campaign, joined by Pegasus, Amuri, and Rangiora Red in the semi-finals.
Finals Day was preceded by two tightly fought semi-finals, with Pegasus overcoming Amuri by 4.5 – 1.5 to book their place in the decider, while Rangiora Green continued their strong form by defeating Rangiora Red 3.5 – 2.5 to progress to the championship match. That set the stage for a fitting final between two of the competition’s standout sides.
The morning foursomes in the final reflected just how evenly matched the teams were. Pegasus struck first through Phil Stephens and Yuki Miya, who secured a convincing 4&3 victory, but Rangiora Green answered through Craig Dickinson and Edward Dickinson, who claimed a strong 4&2 win to leave the teams locked heading into the afternoon singles. With the Kaikoura Cup title on the line, the singles delivered the drama expected of a championship decider. Pegasus gained an early advantage when Yuki Miya produced one of the day’s standout individual performances, defeating Matt Burns 4&3. Rangiora Green hit back through Craig Dickinson, who secured a composed 3&2 win over Dewet Nortje, while Dan Gread and Phil Stephens halved their match to leave the contest delicately poised. That left the final result resting on the remaining match, where Jonathan Ritchie held his nerve to come from behind and edge Edward Dickinson 1-up, sealing the crucial point and handing Pegasus a dramatic 3.5–2.5 victory to lift the Kaikoura Cup.
Culverden/Hanmer finish Gardner Cup campaign in style
The Gardner Cup, contested by the teams finishing fifth to eighth in the Kaikoura Cup regular season standings, also produced a compelling Finals Day storyline.
After narrowly missing out on the top four, Culverden/Hanmer and Kaiapoi Gold emerged from their respective semi-finals to earn a shot at the title, setting up a final between two sides who had built momentum at the right end of the season.
The morning foursomes could not separate them. Andrew Green and Landon Gardiner gave Culverden/Hanmer the perfect start with a 2&1 victory, but Kaiapoi Gold responded through Jason Girvan and Tarek Elsaka, sending the teams into lunch level and setting up a decisive afternoon.
The singles, however, belonged to Culverden/Hanmer. Andrew Green delivered the most dominant result of the final, powering to a 7&5 win over Jason Girvan, before Landon Gardiner backed that up with another convincing 4&3 victory against Greg Mill. With the remaining two singles halved, those emphatic performances proved decisive as Culverden/Hanmer secured a 4–2 victory and capped off a strong finals series with the Gardner Cup title.
Amberley complete Templeton Cup run
The Templeton Cup also built towards Finals Day after its own regular season and playoff pathway which saw three Rangiora teams in the semi-finals alongside Amberley, with an eventual final matchup between Rangiora White and Amberley Gold after each progressed through their respective semi-finals to meet in the decider.
Both teams had earned their places through strong late-season performances, but it was Amberley who produced the stronger display when the title was on the line.
Amberley made their move early in the singles with a string of commanding wins. David Van Turnhout opened with a 5&3 victory over Rob Sutton, before Neil Crawford produced one of the day’s most emphatic performances, defeating John Woods 6&4.
Roger Hornblow matched that margin with another impressive 6&4 win over Peter Jones, while Hudson Murray added a solid 3&2 victory over Ken Macfarlane to put Amberley firmly in control. Rangiora White did respond through wins to Cliff Bishop and Mark Brown, but Amberley’s earlier dominance had already done the damage, with the side claiming a 4–2 victory and securing the Templeton Cup title.
A fitting end to the season
A North Canterbury Finals Day which once again showcased the passion and close compettion of the region. From Pegasus’ nail-biting Kaikoura Cup triumph, to Culverden/Hanmer’s clinical Gardner Cup performance, and Amberley’s commanding Templeton Cup victory, the 2026 Canterbury North interclub season closed in style at Waimakariri Golf Club. View the full season results below:
