NZRU U20 Development Squad Named

Forty-nine players have been selected to attend the New Zealand U20 development camp, in preparation for the World Rugby Under 20 Championship in Georgia next year. Ten of these players were involved in last year’s campaign.

Players selected to attend the development camp in Palmerston North from 1-7 December 2016 are:Forwards
Asafo Aumua (Wellington)         
Ben Power (Wellington)    
John (JP) Sauni (Auckland)    
Chris Cairns (Manawatu)    
Pouri Rakete -Stones (Hawke’s Bay)
Alex Fidow (Wellington)    
Jerry Samania (Auckland)     
Ben Aumua Peseta (Wellington)    
Sitiveni Paongo (Wellington)        
Ezekiel Lindenmuth (Auckland)         
Harrison Allan (Canterbury)         
Afioga Ielemia (Auckland)        
Sam Caird (Waikato)         
Jacob Pierce (Auckland)       
Isaia Walker-Leawere (Wellington)         
Shineil Singh (Waikato)         
Will Tucker (Canterbury)         
Samuel Slade (Auckland)        
Luke Jacobson (Waikato)   
Sione Tuipulotu (Counties Manukau)  
Tom Christie (Canterbury)   
Slade McDowall (Otago)         
Adrian Choat  (Auckland)    
Du'Plessis Kirifi (Waikato)     
Brayden Iose (Manawatu)         
Josh Brown (Wellington)     
Dylan Lam (North Harbour)
Marino Mikaele-Tuu (Hawke’s Bay)  
Isaiah Miller  Tasman)    
     
Backs
Caleb Korteweg (Waikato)         
Lewis Gjaltema (North Harbour)
Kemara Hauiti –Parapara (Wellington)         
Carlos Price (Wellington)         
Tiaan Falcon (Hawke’s Bay)   
Matt Lansdown (Waikato)    
Orbyn Leger (Counties Manukau)   
Matt McKenzie (Taranaki)      
Braydon Ennor (Canterbury)         
Tamati Tua (Northland)         
Lester Maulolo  (Wellington)         
Nikolai Foliaki (Auckland)         
Tima Faingaanuku (Tasman         
Josh McKay (Canterbury)         
Caleb Clarke (Auckland)         
To'o Vaega (Auckland)         
Sheldon Tovio (Waikato)         
Tyler Campbell (Waikato)         
Josh Buchan (Otago)        
Will Jordan (Canterbury) 
   
Not considered due to Super Rugby Commitments were: 
Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes)
Peter Umaga Jensen (Hurricanes)
Stephen Perofeta (Blues)
Eri Enari (Crusaders)

Players not considered due to injury were:
Thomas Umaga Jensen (Otago)
James Little (North Harbour)
Otumaka Mausia (Auckland)
Dalton Papalii (Auckland)
Ryan Coxan (Waikato)
Hawkes Bay Magpies and previous New Zealand U20 Assistant Coach, Craig Philpott, steps up to replace Scott Robertson as the Head Coach.  
Philpott will have two Assistant Coaches with him for the 2017 campaign.  Taranaki’s Willie Rickards has been re-appointed along with new Assistant Coach Cory Brown, Head Coach of the Otago NPC team.

New Zealand U20 will hold further camps in March and April next year, before taking part in the Oceania Tournament on the Gold Coast in April and May. A squad of 28 will be selected to go to the Under 20 World Championship in Georgia from 25 May – 18 June 2017.

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