Our men’s footballers and hurlers claimed a historic double at the New Zealand Championships in Christchurch last month, with the footballers winning the competition for the first time in living memory.

The championships, played at Hagley Park, were the highlight of the 2020/21 New Zealand GAA calendar. With the cancellation of the 2020 competition in Auckland due to COVID-19, and the GAA at a hiatus back home for the same reason, this tournament was savoured by players and spectators alike.

We had six teams lining out at the championships: a camogie team; junior and senior women’s football teams; a hurling team; and junior and senior men’s football teams. 65 players, along with with coaches and loyal supporters, made the trip from the capital south to the Garden City.
 

Wellington/Hutt Valley players, coaches and supporters at the 2021 New Zealand Championships in Christchurch
 

It was certainly a tournament to remember as our hurlers and men’s senior footballers claimed a historic double. The hurlers defeated perennial rivals Canterbury in their final while the footballers won their title by overcoming a strong Celtic/Marist (Auckland) amalgamation. That’s four titles in a row for the hurlers and a first New Zealand Championship title for the senior footballers — an incredible achievement.

 

We also note that between the 2020 Wellington Sevens tournament and the NZ Championships we have won silverware across the four codes this season. It’s not something that happens too often and it’s without doubt a testament to the hard work and commitment from our players, coaches, club administrators, as well as the culture of our club. There’ll be plenty to celebrate at our upcoming Awards night and there’ll be no shortage of cups to swig from.

You can read reports on each of our teams’ New Zealand Championships through the link below.

 

 

Join us in D4 on Featherston on Saturday 17 April to celebrate another great year of Gaelic games. It's another chance to celebrate our teams' successes at the Wellington Sevens, social Gaelic football and the New Zealand Championships. Several individual club awards will also be presented.

For a mere $45 you will be treated to a three-course meal (vegetarian/vegan options available), accompanied by a complimentary glass of wine and drink discounts to boot. Following the awards presentation and meal, there will be music to entertain us into the early hours.

You can pay the $45 for tickets into the club account. Please use your name as a reference.

A/C NUMBER: 02-0610-0041088-00
A/C NAME: HV/WGTN GAA

The rescheduled Newtown festival is on this Sunday 11 April. We'll need some volunteers at our stall to showcase what a great bunch of guys we are. We'll also be showing off the two NZ Championship trophies. So if you're free on that date to give a helping hand, flick a message to Ronan O'Malley on events@wellingtongaa.com.
 

The 2021 Australasian GFHA convention was held in Sydney on Saturday 27 March. While most of Australian affiliates congregated at the Rydges World Square Hotel in person, our delegates Davey Rynne and John Bobs Daly joined the meeting on a Microsoft Teams call.

There was much covered in the five-hour meeting including a Coaching in Schools presentation from Glenn Carpenter, a number of motions passed, and a discussion around the possibility of a 2021 Australasian Games. A decision on whether the games will go ahead or not will be made by the Australasian management committee next month.
 

The 2021 Australasian GFHA convention as viewed on Microsoft Teams

Last month saw the last Kids Gaelic games sessions of 2020/21. Many thanks to all of the parents who gave their time and enthusiasm to the session throughout the year. And thanks especially to all of the kids who participated. The future of Gaelic games is bright in the region and we can't wait for next season.
 

The first record of Gaelic games being played in Wellington was on St Patrick's Day 1891 — the year displayed on our club crest. 2021 is the 130-year anniversary of that first account of Gaelic games in the capital. To mark the occasion, we're planning on holding an event in May/June this year. Leading up to the event, we'd like players, coaches, administrators and supporters past and present to share their memories.

To capture these memories of Wellington/Hutt Valley GFHA over the years, we'd love if you could fill out the form through the link below. It would be great if you could also share the form with past members you know. If you have any queries contact 130@wellingtongaa.com.
 

Wellington Irish National Society camogie team from 1954
Source: https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22711593
 

Check out the links below for the latest news from the region's Irish community:

Our kids Gaelic games group representing the club at the Wellington St Patrick's Parade on Sunday 14 March

We're interested in acquiring more sponsors, so if you or anyone you know would be interested in a sponsorship opportunity with a thriving sports club in the capital, please get in touch with pro@wellingtongaa.com. We would be happy to discuss a suitable sponsorship package with you.