Nine Auckland players named in New Zealand Under 20 squad
Nine Auckland players have been named in the New Zealand Under 20 squad to attend a development camp in Palmerston North next month. The players are Hamdahn Tuipulotu, Soane Vikena, Terrell Peita, Taufa Funaki, Zarn Sullivan, Corey Evans, Lemeki Namoa, Meihana Grindlay and Heremaia Murray.
The nine Auckland players have been selected from a new programme format where more than 100 players went through testing in November with 52 players chosen to attend the camp in March.
Head Coach Craig Philpott says the new programme format got the 2020 campaign off to a good start. He says “It’s widened our base and created a really competitive environment. With that has come a good selection dilemma because outside the 52 we have named today, there are another 20 players on a shortlist that could easily have been selected”.
This will be the first of two camps in preparation for the Oceania Under 20 Championship in April and ultimately the World Rugby Under 20 Championship in Italy in July.
The full squad is as follows:
Forwards | |||
Hamdahn Tuipulotu | Auckland | ||
Soane Vikena | Auckland | ||
Terrell Peita | Auckland | ||
Benet Kumeroa | Bay of Plenty | ||
Finlay Brewis | Canterbury | ||
Tamaiti Williams | Canterbury | ||
Fletcher Newell | Canterbury | ||
Thomas Edwards | Canterbury | ||
Lockie McNair | Canterbury | ||
Sam Darry | Canterbury | ||
Mahonri Ngakuru | Canterbury | ||
Zach Gallagher | Canterbury | ||
Ioane Moananu | Counties Manukau | ||
Jimmy Roots | North Harbour | ||
Robert Rush | Northland | ||
Saula Mau* | Otago | ||
Jake Russ | Otago | ||
Tupou Vaa’i | Taranaki | ||
Josh Lord | Taranaki | ||
Anton Segner* | Tasman | ||
Tom Martin | Waikato | ||
Simon Parker | Waikato | ||
Tyrone Thompson | Wellington | ||
Caleb Delany | Wellington | ||
Taine Plumtree | Wellington | ||
Iona Apineru | Wellington | ||
Josh Southall | Wellington | ||
Sam Smith | Wellington | ||
Shamus Hurley-Langton | Wellington | ||
Backs | |||
Taufa Funaki | Auckland | ||
Zarn Sullivan | Auckland | ||
Corey Evans | Auckland | ||
Lemeki Namoa | Auckland | ||
Meihana Grindlay | Auckland | ||
Heremaia Murray | Auckland | ||
Cassius Misa | Bay of Plenty | ||
Peni Lasaqa | Bay of Plenty | ||
Luke Donaldson | Canterbury | ||
Chay Fihaki | Canterbury | ||
Isaiah Punivai | Canterbury | ||
Cam Roigard | Counties Manukau | ||
Stu Cruden | Manawatu | ||
Josiah Maruku | Manawatu | ||
Drew Wild | Manawatu | ||
James Arscott | Otago | ||
Harrison Boyle | Otago | ||
Lukas Halls | Taranaki | ||
Rivez Reihana | Waikato | ||
Gideon Wrampling | Waikato | ||
Aiden Morgan | Wellington | ||
Roderick Solo | Wellington | ||
Ruben Love | Wellington | ||
*Not eligible for New Zealand Under 20 selection
Article added: Thursday 13 February 2020