Team captain turned head coach turned assistant, Chris Cairns, has spoken out about his role in Pack the Park.

Former All Blacks coach Sir Graham ‘Ted’ Henry, heavyweight boxing champ Joseph Parker, and former All Black backfielder Israel Dagg were announced as coaches for the event. Dagg and Parker will coach the ITM Invitational XV. Henry will be joined by assistant coach Chris Cairns in helming the AB Lime Blair Vining XV.

Taking on the assistant coach role

Not to be confused with the former Black Cap who shares his namesake, Chris Cairns is a great friend of the late cancer care advocate. Cairns promises he’s not feeling too wounded after being dropped from the top job following the announcement Henry was keen to take part.

“I keep getting asked how I feel about being demoted to assistant coach. I think it’s interesting that is the assumption. Graham has an impressive record, no doubt, but six out of eight seasons undefeated as the Drummond Limehills Star junior coach has to count for something,” Cairns says.

Cairns served as captain during Blair Vining’s bucket list game of footy, played to a packed crowd at Midlands Rugby Club in January 2019. Radio personality Bryce Casey will serve in the role this time around.

“I do have some concerns for the skipper of our team this year. Bryce has taken over my old job and I know firsthand that the guys playing in this game play hard. They suddenly think they’re 23 again. They can still hit hard. Bryce needs to lead from the front. Graham and I will need to work out some way of motivating him to perform as Blair would have wanted his skipper to.”

Pack the Park 2020 in honour of Blair Vining

Pack the Park is a thanks to Otago and Southland for supporting the charity hospital. It will also commemorate the first anniversary of the death of Blair Vining. His call for more equitable cancer care throughout New Zealand following his diagnosis of terminal bowel cancer captured the hearts of the nation.

Cairns says his mate would be amazed to see how many people have agreed to take part in the event. The squad named yesterday includes former All Blacks Stephen Donald, Mils Muliaina, Andy Ellis, Corey Flynn and more.

“What I do know is that Blair would be so excited to have all these top-class players, coaches, athletes and celebrities involved. They are selfless people, just as he was. What Missy and the team down here are doing is an amazing thing for the southern community,” Cairns says. “I feel privileged to be part of it. I hope everyone will get behind it in any way they can.

“Blair might have still been with us now if we as a country were properly funded in the health sector. It’s a small thing to ask of people, to get behind the Southland Charity Hospital and its mission. One day, it will save lives – and it could be your mate next time. Blair gave up so much for us as a country in his last days. It drained him, but he did it anyway.

“Pack the Park – it’s literally the least we can do.”

Get ready for 17 October

The Pack the Park game at Rugby Park on October 17 will be followed by gala dinner The Aftermatch. Hosted by TW Events & Incentives at Bill Richardson Transport World, television personality Scotty ‘Sumo’ Stevenson will preside over a sold-out crowd of almost 700 people. The event sold-out mere hours after tickets went on sale.

To find out more about the Pack the Park event follow the Southland Charity Hospital on Facebook. A social media ‘Guess Who’ campaign on the page will also drop clues on players each week.

The game will be the curtain-raiser to the Mitre 10 Cup fixture that will see Southland take on Taranaki. General admission to the terraces is free. GA and grandstand tickets are now available at  ILT Stadium Southland, Ticketek.co.nz or at the game.

For further information, please contact Southland Charity Hospital communications manager Alana Dixon-Calder on 027 7428 817.

Planning for Pack the Park, an epic rugby game to thank the community for their support of the Southland Charity Hospital, is full steam ahead – despite the election.

The Pack the Park rugby game

The Pack the Park rugby game, set to be played as the curtain-raiser to the Southland Stags v. Taranaki match at Rugby Park in Invercargill on October 17, is being held to thank the people of Southland and Otago for rallying behind the charity hospital’s cause.

The game is also a way to pay tribute to the one year anniversary of the death of Blair Vining. The Winton man’s battle to ensure better cancer care for all New Zealanders after he was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer captivated the country and was the catalyst for both the formation of a national cancer care agency as well as the Southland Charity Hospital.

A slight change in plans

Originally set to be played between the Blair Vining Invitational XV – with the team’s lineup still a secret – and the New Zealand Parliamentary Team, the change in the date of the New Zealand general election “threw a bit of a spanner in the works for a minute”, Southland Charity Hospital driving force and board member Melissa Vining says.

“I think everybody in the country has learned by now that COVID-19 has more than a few surprises in-store for us. When the new election date was originally announced our team did go into planning mode. We weighed up the pros and cons and decided our best bet was to soldier on – but, unfortunately, that does mean the New Zealand Parliamentary Team is no longer able to participate,” she says.

“We were so excited to have them on board and hope we get a chance to take them on at some point in the future. Being on the same date as the election does mean we have a few extra things to think about, mainly around ensuring that attendees at Pack the Park are still able to participate in voting, and we’re looking forward to an action-packed day.”

Team captains named

The lineup of names set to take to the paddock during the Pack the Park event at Rugby Park is a closely-guarded secret: but the duo set to lead out the players on 17 October has been announced.

New Zealander of the Year nominee and radio personality Bryce Casey from The Rock has been shoulder-tapped to lead the Blair Vining Invitational XV team.

Meanwhile, well-known TV fishing star Matt Watson – the host of The Fishing Show – will captain the opposing side (yet to be named).

“Blair would have loved that we’re putting this game on for the people of Southland and Otago. He especially would have loved hearing that Bryce and Matt have agreed to come on board. He thought Bryce was an absolute legend for his vocal support of the need for mental health awareness, and throughout his journey, Bryce was a huge support to Blair,” Melissa says.

“Blair and our daughter, Lilly, absolutely loved watching The Fishing Show. They were absolutely obsessed with it. It was their thing. That time together is a really special memory for Lilly, so for Matt to have agreed to take part as well is huge.

“I don’t know how much they know about rugby, but it’s great that they’re willing to give captaining the teams a crack for the Southland Charity Hospital cause.”

Keen to get involved for the cause

Watson says he followed Blair Vining’s story, and admired how the Central Southland man’s legacy had been carried on.

“He just seemed like such a salt-of-the-earth, good bugger. And then for Missy to carry that work on and do something that is going to make such a difference, how could I say no to being involved? What a great opportunity to be part of something so good,” he says.

“Given we’re playing a team in Blair Vining’s name, I almost feel like cheering for the other team – but that will change on game day once I strap the boots on.”

The Morning Rumble co-host Casey says he was keen to get involved because of his admiration for Blair Vining’s advocacy for his community.

“Although when I say involved, I thought more as in a ‘having a beer and talking about it, rather than playing’ capacity. That concept changed dramatically when I was named captain,” he says.

As for the players he hopes might make the line-up on the day?

“If I could have my dream pick, I’d want an enforcer to hide behind, like Andrew Hore. And someone to run the cutter like the great man Beaver (Stephen Donald).”

For further information, please contact Southland Charity Hospital communications manager Alana Dixon-Calder on 027 7428 817.

Tickets to a gala dinner set to benefit the Southland Charity Hospital have sold out – just a handful of hours after going on sale.

The Aftermatch will be held at spectacular Bill’s Shed venue at Bill Richardson Transport World on October 17. The evening promises to blend lots of laughs, plenty of entertainment, fantastic food, and great company – all in the name of an incredible cause.

Southland Charity Hospital board member Melissa Vining says she is incredulous that tables to the glamorous affair were snaffled up so quickly. Almost 700 people are set to attend.

“I was watching the tables get snaffled up and thought I was imagining things. Every time we do something I am just overwhelmed at the support our community shows for the charity hospital – it honestly blows me away,” she says.

“We’re looking forward to a fantastic night, and we’re so humbled that so many other people are too.”

All of the standard tables at the event were sold out less than three hours after going on sale last night. The corporate ‘Pit Lane’ tables were sold out by this morning. The ‘Pit Lane’ tables will have a prime position inside the venue – housed in the largest private automotive museum of its type in the world – and will include personal table service from the TW Events & Incentives and Transport World teams.

The evening will be MC’d by television personality Scotty ‘Sumo’ Stevenson.

The Aftermatch will be held after the Pack the Park rugby game, set to be played as the curtain-raiser to the Southland Stags v. Taranaki match at Rugby Park in Invercargill. The game is being held to thank the people of Southland and Otago for rallying behind the charity hospital’s cause. The game is also a way to pay tribute to the one year anniversary of the death of Blair Vining. The Winton man’s battle to ensure better cancer care for all New Zealanders after he was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer captivated the country and was the catalyst for both the formation of a national cancer care agency as well as the Southland Charity Hospital.

For further information, please contact Southland Charity Hospital communications manager Alana Dixon-Calder on 027 7428 817.