Three from East Coast to play for Maori All Blacks

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

THREE players with links to Poverty Bay or the East Coast have been named in the Maori All Blacks squad announced today.

Hurricanes and Hawke's Bay lock Isaia Walker-Leawere (Ngati Porou) played for the Gisborne Boys' High School First XV and won a world title with New Zealand u20 in 2017.

The following year he became the youngest player to join the Hurricanes squad at just 19.

Crusader loose forward Whetukamokamo Douglas (Ngati Porou, Te Arawa and Ngati Whakaue), is named after Ngati Porou chief,Te Whetukamokamo, who was killed around 1823 in battle with a Nga Puhi force near Te Araroa.

The current Canterbury provincial player has previously played for Waikato and Italian club Benetton.

Chiefs winger Sean Wainui (Ngai Tuhoe, Nga Arikikaiputahi, Ngati Porou) was born at Whatututu but moved on to captain the Takapuna Grammar First XV. He won a u20 world title in 2015.

Wainui, previously a Taranaki provincial player, will appear for Bay of Plenty in the Bunnings NPC premier division this season.

Last week in a SuperRugby Trans-Tasman match against New South Wales, Wainui became the first Chief to score five tries in a match.

All three have previously appeared for the Maori All Blacks, who will play Manu Samoa at Wellington on June 26 and in Auckland a week later at Mt Smart.