Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times / Sport

Rugby: Steamers back new duo in push for glory

Bay of Plenty Times
18 Jul, 2012 11:07 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Bay of Plenty's muted buildup to next month's ITM Cup national provincial rugby campaign has taken a significant and timely step forward with two high profile signatures.

Highlanders and Southland midfielder Kendrick Lynn has signed to play for the province, although he is primarily being viewed as a wing/fullback utility, while 29-year-old former Queensland Reds centre Mali Kefu has also been snapped up by the title aspirants for one season, hot on the heels of his older brother and former Wallaby Steve who played for the Steamers last year.

Lynn, 29, helped Southland to two Ranfurly Shield wins in his 61 games for the Stags, playing at centre in both victories over Canterbury, but said he was after a fresh challenge following a disappointing campaign with the Highlanders this year where he struggled to get any game time when he came back from a neck injury.

Kefu played a season for the Reds in 2003 but has been in France since 2004, with Toulon.

Lynn, who is from Waikato, had been looking overseas but Bay of Plenty heard he was available and jumped. Steamers coach Kevin Schuler said yesterday he was surprised at the pace with which both players committed.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It has all happened at very short notice - subsequent to us hearing he was available, we made contact but thought he'd take two or three weeks to think about it, yet he came back to us in a couple of days.

"Mali comes from a good family stable but signed at short notice, with our connection to him coming through his brother."

Schuler confirmed they had tentative talks with hulking All Blacks wing Hosea Gear, although the 28-year-old, who seems back in favour at national level, has not made a commitment yet to any ITM Cup team and is likely to be picked for the squad to play in the Rugby Championship, limiting his provincial availability.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We've put an offer to him but have not heard back. He would be a strategic investment given he's highly likely to be an All Black (at the time of the ITM Cup). But if we did manage to get him for a cameo handful of games at no expense to us, it would be great."

Schuler pointed out the double backline signing should not be seen as a snub to the club players he and assistant John Walters had been looking at, with several also used in recent games for the Wasps XV.

But with fullback Toby Arnold (knee reconstruction) and wing Jason Hona (operations on both hips) sidelined, and former Steamers midfielder Brett Mather recovering from a broken leg after signing in the off-season, there were gaps that needed filling.

"The need for a genuine utility in the squad [Lynn] became very apparent and the fact is, we don't have a player locally we believe can be a starter across several positions. Someone like Lynn, who started his career at 10, played 15 and on the wing and more recently as a midfielder, who is available, was too good to ignore."

Schuler said it was significant that Bay of Plenty had contracted Kefu and Lynn to just the 2012 season.

"For me that's good. Short-term we've seen a gap and have two off-the-shelf, ready-to-go quality footballers. But we're still committed to guys we're bringing through our own system."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Bay of Plenty Times

New home for Tauranga netball: $14m Baypark plan progresses

Bay of Plenty Times

Baywide rugby: Whaka look to break 19-year drought

Bay of Plenty Times

Netball: Magic narrowly lose to Pulse after scores still tied in final minutes


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

New home for Tauranga netball: $14m Baypark plan progresses
Bay of Plenty Times

New home for Tauranga netball: $14m Baypark plan progresses

The new facility will include a new building plus 14 asphalt and nine cushioned courts.

14 Jul 07:00 PM
Baywide rugby: Whaka look to break 19-year drought
Bay of Plenty Times

Baywide rugby: Whaka look to break 19-year drought

14 Jul 05:17 AM
Netball: Magic narrowly lose to Pulse after scores still tied in final minutes
Bay of Plenty Times

Netball: Magic narrowly lose to Pulse after scores still tied in final minutes

14 Jul 04:28 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP