Poverty Bay's Niko Lauti takes on Ngāti Porou East Coast's Sam Parkes in the King's Birthday weekend derby. Lauti is among the forwards named this week in the Poverty Bay squad for the 2025 Heartland Championship. The Bay start their campaign against the Coast in Gisborne. Photo / Paul Rickard
Poverty Bay's Niko Lauti takes on Ngāti Porou East Coast's Sam Parkes in the King's Birthday weekend derby. Lauti is among the forwards named this week in the Poverty Bay squad for the 2025 Heartland Championship. The Bay start their campaign against the Coast in Gisborne. Photo / Paul Rickard
With Te Pae Hākari Poverty Bay men’s senior club rugby season coming to an end on Saturday, Poverty Bay Weka head coach Manuel-Harman’s attention has turned to the union’s flagship team.
“I’m pretty pleased with this squad and we’re looking forward to getting someexciting loan players to bolster the squad,” the first-year representative coach said of the Poverty Bay team named this week for the 2025 Heartland Championship.
“We have just the one pre-season game, versus Hawke’s Bay Development (at 1pm at Tremain Field in Napier on August 9).
“We want to play organised, exciting rugby. We are out to prove ourselves, so we’re putting in a lot of work behind the scenes.”
The 31-strong squad includes 10 players from the YMP side who won the Premier club grand final 21-7 over Tapuae on Saturday; seven from Tapuae; six from High School Old Boys; and six from OBM.
Poverty Bay’s 2024 Heartland Player of the Year, midfield back Jacob Leaf, has been named in the squad after missing the club season because of a right knee injury. Fifty games for Poverty Bay are in his sights.
Prop Nik Patumaka - who played his 50th game for Napier Tech in the Hawke’s Bay competition this year - returns as a Player of Origin.
James Grogan is among the forwards named and will make his Heartland return eight years after captaining the Poverty Bay team to eighth in the 2017 edition.
Forwards Siosiua Moala (HSOB) and Knox Ranitu (Tapuae) and backs Taine Aupouri and Kelvin Smith (both of YMP), who played prominent roles in last weekend’s Premier final, are listed as “unavailable”, but are possible future additions.
While the Bay have yet to appoint team managers, Manuel-Harman has former Poverty Bay, Heartland XV, Taranaki and Manawatū forward Adrian Wyrill as his assistant coach, Adam Cranston as trainer and Petra Sparks as physiotherapist.
Poverty Bay finished bottom of the 12-team Heartland Championship last year. They lost all eight of their games although did secure six bonus points.
The Weka start their 2025 campaign with a derby match against Ngāti Porou East Coast at Rugby Park on August 16, followed by King Country in Te Kūiti (Aug 23), Horowhenua Kāpiti in Levin (Aug 30), Buller in Gisborne (Sept 6), North Otago in Ōamaru (Sept 13), South Canterbury in Gisborne (Sept 20), Mid Canterbury in Gisborne (Sept 27) and Wairarapa Bush in Masterton (Oct 4).
The semifinals of the Meads (top four) and Lochore (fifth to eighth) cups are on October 11, followed by finals the following weekend.
Thames Valley beat Mid Canterbury 37-29 in the 2024 Meads Cup final while King Country defeated West Coast 46-44 in the Lochore Cup final.
The Poverty Bay squad’s first training run is at Rugby Park on Thursday night.
High School Old Boys' Te-Reimana Gray on debut for Poverty Bay Weka against Ngāti Porou East Coast in June. Gray is set to add to his tally after making the squad for the Heartland Championship, which kicks off on August 16. Photo / Paul Rickard
Poverty Bay Weka squad for 2025 Heartland Championship
Forwards: Ryan Jones, Leka Palusa (High School Old Boys), Nik Patumaka (Napier Technical Sports Club, Hawke’s Bay, Player of Origin), Jokatama Cewa, Lance Dickson, James Grogan, Toru Noanoa (OBM), Iose Brown, Harawira Kahukura, Ngahiwi Manuel, Keanu Taumata, Atonio Vukicicakaudrove (Tapuae), Saigeon Carmichael, Niko Lauti, Shayde Skudder, Te Peehi Fairlie, Khian Westrupp (YMP).
