New Magpies coach Josh Syms, who will name his first Ranfurly Shield defence team at the weekend. Photo / NZME
New Magpies coach Josh Syms, who will name his first Ranfurly Shield defence team at the weekend. Photo / NZME
New Hawke's Bay Magpies head coach Josh Syms will decide his first Ranfurly Shield defence team after the final round of Premier first-round Nash Cup rugby tomorrow .
The team, likely to be named publicly on Sunday or Monday, will be for next week's match against 2021 amateur rugby HeartlandChampionships winner South Canterbury.
The match at McLean Park, Napier, will start at 4.35pm next Wednesday, advanced by two-and-a-half hours from the originally scheduled time to accommodate live TV coverage of both the Shield match and Ireland's first tour match, against the Maori All Blacks, in Hamilton starting at 7.05pm.
A South Canterbury squad was named this week, almost exclusively from last year's squad, including two returning loan players, from Christchurch and Tasman.
The 23 for the game will arrive in Napier on Tuesday and train at McLean Park later that day.
