2011 UC Superbowl - “The Greatest Show on Earth”

Less than two years after it was founded, the University of Canterbury Gridiron Society recently held the inaugural UC Bowl, quite a feat for a sport that does not traditionally have a large following in New Zealand. Jonny Paul tracks the group's success.

There was no half time show, no big sponsorship deals, and not a nipple ring in sight, but Sunday before last, while others were enjoying a feast of patriotic sporting goodness watching the All Blacks and various Warriors, the boys from the University of Canterbury Gridiron Society were participating in the first annual UC Bowl.

The game marked the finale of a four week tournament organised by the society and was the product of dozens of pickup games, hundreds of practices, thousands of semi-spiralled throws, and the passion of several individuals since the club's inception in early 2010. The club came completely out of the ether; a few friends from Nelson wanting to create the first American football club Christchurch had seen in a very long time. Armed only with a collection of borrowed cones, a couple of pigskins, and highlighter bibs that no one wanted to wear, the first games were scantily-clad affairs. But as both Shoeless Joe Jackson and Jim Morrison said, "If you build it, they will come", and since then GridironSoc has gone from strength to strength, building a base group of likeminded football fans and recently combining with a group of separate players based in Hagley Park, forming four separate teams to compete in a tournament which kicked off at the beginning of the second semester.

Representing different areas of Christchurch the teams were the Spreydon Rampage, the Bryndwr Panthers, the Ilam Rebels, and the Hagley Gladiators. After three weeks of games that included some spectacular plays and a surprise appearance from John Stamos the final was decided: the GSoc stalwart Bryndwr Panthers would play the imposing new arrivals, the Hagley Gladiators. With the teams drawing 21-21 in group play, the stage was set for a fiercely competitive match up – and it lived up to its billing early.

A long opening drive by the Panthers was capped off by a touchdown as Mason Shaw completed a short pass that Mase Rosvall ran in for the score. The Gladiators struck back immediately after a well-flighted throw from Jumbo found Josh Thompson who made an athletic play to get both feet down at the back of the endzone. Devastating pass rush in the redzone kept the Panthers to just a field goal before half time and the teams headed to the sideline with the score 10-7 in favour of the Panthers.

An inspiring speech from Panther's captain Mason Shaw got his team fired up in the second half, and the first turn-over of the game came as a pass from Gladiators quarterback Jumbo fell to David Abbot in midfield for the interception. The Panthers smelled metaphorical blood and pounced on the opportunity, with new arrival Hamish Ogilvie putting the team on his back by breaking several tackles on his way to the end zone in what was undoubtedly the running play of the game.

Facing a ten-point deficit, the Gladiators battled bravely through the quicksand but were unable to put together another scoring drive. The last scoring play of the game saw Mason Shaw stand strong against a ferocious blitz to deliver a long strike to Brad Fraser, putting the exclamation point on a 24-7(!) victory for the Bryndwr Panthers in the inaugural UC Bowl.

The game was played in fantastically competitive spirit and showed definite signs that the event will be even more successful in the future. Plans are already in place for a bigger and better tournament in semester one next year. Special thanks must go to Commissioner Jono Entwistle for being there at the beginning and showing continued support, the Hagley Gladiators for getting involved and tolerating our various rule changes, but most of all to the loyal followers, supporters, and players of GridironSoc, without whom our events would look like a Jacksonville home game. If anyone out there is keen to get involved in next year's competition, any of our Budweiser-filled barbeques, or the pictured Snowbowl, contact Mason Shaw at mjs336@uclive.ac.nz or find us on Facebook by searching GRIDIRONSOC. Remember, "Pain is temporary, chicks dig scars, glory lasts forever".