LOCALS ONLY

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

The Poverty Bay squad has been announced for the traditional Queen's Birthday Weekend contest against Ngati Porou East Coast.

The union has continued its “locals only” strategy this year with the naming of a 33-strong squad for the game which will be a prominent part of the Coast's centenary celebrations.

A third (11) of the players are from Waikohu while YMP have 10 players in the squad. OBM six, Ngatapa four and High School Old Boys two.

The Ngatapa and HSOB selections are all in the forwards

Eight players have been named in the Poverty Bay squad for the first time. They are James Higgins (Ngatapa), Siaosi Kafalava (YMP), Dan Law (Ngatapa), Nehe Papuni (YMP), Keanu Taumata (OBM), Taine Aupouri (YMP), Austin Brown (YMP) and Aaron McLelland (YMP).

With no town and country game this season, selectors have been diligently watching regular-season club rugby, with the Money Round on Saturday the final chance for co-coaches Tom Cairns and Miah Nikora.

The squad start training this week in preparation for the June 5 game at Whakarua Park in Ruatoria.

Nikora said despite only having five teams in this year's premier grade competition, they still had strong depth in their player base.

“In terms of the quality of players, it's very strong. It was hard to bring it down to the 33 we have.”

It would be interesting to see what impact the absence of the Town and Country game would have on the squad.

Coaches used that game as an opportunity to introduce their structures to players, but Nikora said with a large number of the players having experienced Heartland Championship rugby, he believed that would compensate for their condensed and limited preparation.

The absence of HSOB and OBM at last weekend's Money Round was unfortunate for players who would have had a final chance to put their hand up for selection.

But there were still four more weeks of club rugby to make an impression on selectors before the naming of the Poverty Bay squad for their 2021 Heartland campaign.

“At the moment, Waikohu and YMP are the in-form teams and we're happy with how these guys are tracking.”

In a statement announcing the team, Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union chief executive Josh Willoughby said it was a privilege to share in a historic milestone for NPEC.

“While the rivalry on the field is unmatched in provincial rugby, we're all whanau off it and this special bond we share being so strongly connected makes the centenary celebrations special for all of us.”

Poverty Bay squad — Forwards: Juston Allen (OBM), Jarryd Broughton (Waikohu), Campbell Chrisp (Nga), James Higgins (Nga), Tamanui Hill (HSOB), Siaosi Kafalava (YMP), Tulsa Kaui (Wai), Dan Law (Nga), Sam McDell (Nga), Toru Noanoa (Wai), Nehe Papuni (YMP), Morgan Reedy (OBM), Fletcher Scammell (HSOB), Shayde Skudder (YMP), Keanu Taumata (OBM), Fawn White (YMP), Adrian Wyrill (Wai).

Backs: Taine Aupouri (YMP), Rawiri Broughton (Wai), Austin Brown (YMP), Mario Counsell (Wai), Te Peehi Fairlie (YMP), Tione Hubbard (Wai), Jake Holmes (OBM), Jacob Leaf (Wai), Aaron McLelland (YMP), Tane McGuire (Wai), Scott Mckinley (OBM), Ethine Reeves (Wai), Kelvin Smith (Wai), Andrew Tauatevalu (YMP).

Unavailable: Kesomi Nico Lauti (YMP), Isaiah Leach (YMP), Jayden Milner (YMP).