Media Release from Blues Rugby:

There are 17 Auckland players named in the Blues squad for the 2021 Sky Super Rugby Aotearoa competition.

The Blues squad includes 12 current or former All Blacks – seven of them from Auckland - and two Samoa World Cup players in their 38-strong squad that also comprises seven rookies.

Strong performances in 2020 led to Aucklanders Alex Hodgman, Akira Ioane, Caleb Clarke and Hoskins Sotutu progressing to the All Black party for the Bledisloe Cup-Tri Nations campaign joining fellow blue and white players Ofa Tuungafasi, Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu, and Rieko Ioane while Auckland prop James Lay was in the Manu Samoa team in the last Rugby World Cup.

The rookies include four Auckland players who impressed in Mitre-10 Cup comprising Soane Vikena, AJ Lam, Zarn Sullivan and Lay.

"We are excited about Sky Super Rugby Aotearoa. The rugby was outstanding this year and we responded to the fantastic crowds. Our aim is to play some exciting rugby and entice our fans back in force to Eden Park" said head coach Leon Macdonald.

“We can take confidence from our performances this year. But the game is not an accumulative process – all teams go back to zero points and we start again.

“We know how hard we worked on the field, in the gym and in our preparation this year. We must work even harder and smarter if we want to progress.

“This Blues group is maturing both on and off the field and we have also looked ahead to include some players for the future.

“A number of our group made significant strides this year and we are looking for them to develop into dominant figures. And we are excited about developing our young players who possess some outstanding qualities.

“While Beauden is in Japan this season, we have the likes of Otere Black, Stephen Perofeta and Harry Plummer who have all led their respective teams with real authority in the Mitre-10 Cup campaign.

“It has been a unique and crazy year that began back in January and finishes this week. In a few weeks the players will be back for what will be a short preparation for the 2021 season. We will clearly have to take this into account and monitor our players as they return.”

The Auckland newbies include Blues development player of the year Soane Vikena, with the NZ Under-20 hooker signed for four years. He was injured in the Mitre-10 Cup resulting in 2020 Blues player Kurt Eklund to return as injury cover. Eklund, the Bay of Plenty standout, has signed for the Blues from 2022 for two years.

Lay, 26, has returned to Auckland, having played in the Rugby World Cup for Samoa and in UK for the Bristol Bears.

Sullivan has impressed at fullback for Auckland with the Kings College grad a NZ Schools rep who came through the Auckland and Blues development programme.

AJ Lam, a 22-year-old winger from the Auckland and Blues Development programme, has impressed with seven tries in the Mitre-10 Cup. He is the brother of former Blues and Hurricanes wing Ben Lam.

The arrival of Nepo Laulala means the Blues will boast four All Black props joining Tuungafasi, Karl Tu’inukuafe and Hodgman.

The other Auckland players include NZ Maori prop Marcel Renata, Blake Gibson, Jonathan Ruru, Plummer, TJ Faiane and Tanielu Tele’a.

The backs will be sparked with All Blacks Rieko Ioane and Clarke who formed an exciting outside back pairing with the club’s rookie of the year, Mark Telea last year. In 2021 they are joined by a trio of young guns in Lam, Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens and Sullivan and the powerful Fijian wing Jone Macilai-Tori, who returned to Northland this year from a stint in Japan after previously also playing for the Crusaders.

One player is to be added to a final 38-strong squad.

 The 2021 SSRA Blues Squad is:

Hookers: Ray Niuia (Tasman), James Parsons (North Harbour), Soane Vikena (Auckland).

Props: Alex Hodgman (Auckland), Nepo Laulala (Counties Manukau), James Lay (Auckland), Marcel Renata (Auckland), Karl Tu’inukuafe (North Harbour), Ofa Tuungafasi (Auckland).

Locks: Gerard Cowley-Tuioti (North Harbour), Sam Darry (Canterbury), Josh Goodhue (Northland), Jacob Pierce (North Harbour), Patrick Tuipulotu (Auckland).

Loose forwards: Blake Gibson (Auckland), Dillon Hunt (North Harbour), Akira Ioane (Auckland), Dalton Papalii (Counties Manukau), Taine Plumtree (Wellington), Tom Robinson (Northland), Hoskins Sotutu (Auckland).

Halfbacks: Finlay Christie (Tasman), Sam Nock (Northland), Jonathan Ruru (Auckland).

Inside backs: Otere Black (Bay of Plenty), Stephen Perofeta (Taranaki), Harry Plummer (Auckland).

Midfield: TJ Faiane (Auckland), Rieko Ioane (Auckland), Tanielu Tele’a (Auckland).

Outside backs: Caleb Clarke (Auckland), AJ Lam (Auckland), Jone Macilai-Tori (Northland), Emoni Narawa (Bay of Plenty), Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens (Taranaki), Zarn Sullivan (Auckland), Mark Telea (Tasman).

Details: www.blues.rugby