Magpies back Caleb Makene scores a try against Manawatū in the Mitre 10 Cup this season. Photo / Paul Taylor
Magpies back Caleb Makene scores a try against Manawatū in the Mitre 10 Cup this season. Photo / Paul Taylor
Five Hawke's Bay players have been selected to compete in the men's division of the 2020 Red Bull Ignite7 sevens tournament next month.
Current Magpies Kurt Baker, Ollie Sapsford, Caleb Makene and Anzelo Tuitavuki all made the cut for the 52-strong group, as did Magpies wider training squad member LatrellSmiler-Ah Kiong.
Baker and Sapsford are both members of the All Blacks Sevens squad that was named to go to the 2020 Olympics.
Kurt Baker (right), who is in his first season with Hawke's Bay, has played for the All Blacks Sevens since 2008. Photo / Paul Taylor
The pair, along with Makene, have played key roles in the Magpies Mitre 10 Cup campaign, while Tuitavuki has made one appearance off the bench.
Smiler-Ah Kiong played at last year's Ignite7 while he was still a student at Hastings Boys' High School.
Since the inaugural Ignite7 in 2018, the tournament has been used for the development of Kiwi sevens talent, with leading players being selected for national training camps.
However this year, with Covid forcing the World Rugby Sevens Series to be scrapped and the contracted players in national teams short on rugby sevens action, the likes of Baker and Sapsford have been thrown into the mix as well.
Ollie Sapsford is yet to debut for the All Blacks Sevens after his callup to the squad in February. Photo / Paul Taylor
"It will be a unique environment because those players coming in are going to be able to gauge themselves against some of the best players in the world and get a direct comparison which is something we haven't had before," All Blacks Sevens coach Clark Laidlaw said.
"It's a win-win because the All Blacks Sevens players get to play sevens again after a long break and at the same time get to help the next generation. The next generation of talent get to come in and play alongside our players and get coached by our coaches – it will be an amazing week."
A live draft event on Monday, November 30, will see the eight captains of the four men's and four women's teams pick their playing squads in a three-round draft, broadcast on Sky.
Teams will then assemble for one week in Tauranga before a two-day tournament at Blake Park on December 5-6.
Anzelo Tuitavuki (right) playing for his club Havelock North against Clive. Photo / Ian Cooper
The 2020 Red Bull Ignite7 men's players are:
Charles Alaimalo (Southland), Kurt Baker (Hawke's Bay), Leroy Carter (Bay of Plenty), Che Clark (Auckland), Joel Cobb (Auckland), Dylan Collier (Waikato), Scott Curry (Bay of Plenty), Sam Dickson (Bay of Plenty), Carlos Donnell-Brown (Auckland), Rhodes Featherstone (Taranaki), Fehi Fineanganofo (Auckland), Angus Fletcher (Canterbury), Tom Florence (Taranaki), Cole Forbes (Bay of Plenty), Kalani Going (Northland), Noah Hotham (Waikato), Shamus Hurley-Langton (Manawatu), Luron Iosefa (Auckland), Trael Joass (Tasman), Andrew Knewstubb (Canterbury), Stuart Leach (Waikato), Brian Lealiifano (Canterbury), Moses Leo (North Harbour), Caleb Makene (Hawke's Bay), Blake Makiri (Canterbury), Jona Mataiciwa (Bay of Plenty), Ngarohi McGarvey-Black (North Harbour), Tim Mikkelson (Waikato), Sione Molia (Counties Manukau), Tone Ng Shiu (Auckland), Amanaki Nicole (Southland), Brayton Northcott-Hill (Taranaki), Manu Paea (Auckland), Terrell Peita (Auckland), Fritz Rayasi (Wellington), Akuila Rokolisoa (Counties Manukau), Jone Rova (Taranaki), Brady Rush (Northland), Tim Sail (North Harbour), Ollie Sapsford (Hawke's Bay), Sage Shaw-Tait (Auckland), Dan Sinkinson (Waikato), Latrell Smiler-Ah Kiong (Hawke's Bay), Rico Syme (Canterbury), Caleb Tangitau (Auckland), Anzelo Tuitavuki (Hawke's Bay), Kitiona Vai (Auckland), William Warbrick (Bay of Plenty), Regan Ware (Bay of Plenty), Joe Webber (Bay of Plenty), Ethan Webster-Nonu (Wellington), Liam Wilson (Waikato).
