Five Wellington players named in NZ U20s squad
Five Wellington players have been named in the New Zealand Under 20s squad to play at the Oceania Under 20s tournament in Australian next month.
Forwards Alex Fidow, Asafo Aumua, Isaia Walker-Leawere and halfbacks Kemara Hauiti-Parapara and Carlos Price have been named in the 30-man squad to play matches against Australia, Fiji and Samoa on the Gold Coast.
Prop Fidow (Oriental Rongotai), hooker Aumua (Avalon) and lock Walker-Leawere (Poneke) were all members of the Wellington Lions squad in 2016 and are currently training with the Hurricanes Investec Super Rugby squad.
In just one season of club rugby Hauiti-Parapara (Tawa), also training with the Hurricanes, has already established himself as one of Wellington’s leading No.9s, while Price (Petone) has moved to Wellington in his first season out of St Kentigern College in Auckland.
New Zealand Under 20 Head Coach Craig Philpott said that he was pleased with the squad he’d picked for an expanded Oceania Tournament starting on April 28.
“This is a very experienced squad we are taking to the Oceania under 20s. Thirteen players have been in the Under 20 environment before and nine played in last year’s World Championship in Manchester. That previous experience of an international competition will come in valuable on the Gold Coast.
“Up to this point we have had 50 odd players at our previous training camps and we had to make some tough calls to whittle the squad down to 30. The camps highlighted we have good depth in most positions, and selections were particularly competitive in the loose forwards and outside backs, where a number of players will feel rightfully disappointed that they didn’t make the squad.
“Oceania provides us a great opportunity to prepare for the Under 20 World Championship in Georgia in June, especially because both tournaments follow the same format.”
The New Zealand Under 20 squad to compete in the World Rugby Under 20 Championship in Georgia in June will be named in May after the Oceania squad returns to New Zealand.
The squad will travel to the Gold Coast for matches against Fiji on 28 April, Samoa on 2 May and Australia on 6 May. All matches will be played at Bond University, Gold Coast Rugby Fields.
In addition to the five players named in the New Zealand Under 20s squad, Wellington has also had seven players named in Samoa’s Under 20s wider training squad. Those players are forwards Ivan Fepulea’i, Jarimar Schuster, Julius Togafau, Nese Solia, and backs Lei Ioane, Aneriueta Fale Piopa, and Losi Filipo.
New Zealand Under-20s squad to play at the Oceania Under 20s tournament: Harrison Allan, Asafo Aumua, Sam Caird, Adrian Choat, Tom Christie, Ryan Coxon, Tim Farrell, Alex Fidow, Luke Jacobson, Ezekiel Lindenmuth, Marino Mikaele-Tuu, Dalton Papalii, Jacob Pierce, John Sauni, Samuel Slade, Pouri Rakete-Stones, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Jordie Barrett, Caleb Clarke, Ereatara Enari, Braydon Ennor, Tima Faingaanuku, Tiaan Falcon, Will Jordan, Kemara Hauiti-Parapara, Orbyn Leger, Josh McKay, Jona Nareki, Carlos Price, Tamati Tua.