Rugby: Ioasa to coach Bay Sevens side

Tafai Ioasa (left)

Hawke's Bay's former All Black Sevens captain Tafai Ioasa will coach the Bay's Sevens team next summer.

"I'm pretty happy to have been given this role now I'm home for good," Ioasa, a 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medallist who played in 48 tournaments for the national team between 2001 and '08, said.

"There's so much talent around the Bay to utilise ... not only in the premier club competition but also coming through the secondary schools. There's no reason why Hawke's Bay can't be a top four side on a regular basis at the national sevens," Ioasa said.

The 33-year-old, who is still playing for the Central premier team he co-coaches, was a regular player in Japan until this year. During his sevens playing days Ioasa represented Wellington and Hawke's Bay.

The Hawke's Bay Tuis will return to the women's NPC this season after a one-season absence. Two former Tuis, Chanel Huddleston and Vicki Pene, will co-coach the side.

Nash Cup-winning Taradale co-coach Blair Cross will co-coach the Hawke's Bay Development team, which will play under the Saracens name, with Hastings Boys' High School 1st XV co-coach Jack Wiggins.

Former Chiefs and Hawke's Bay Magpies prop David Briggs, a 2013 Maddison Trophy-winning coach with Napier Technical, will coach the Hawke's Bay under-19 side with his former Tech assistant Steve Woods again his deputy.

Last year's Hurricanes title-winning Hawke's Bay under-18 coach Steve Lloyd has been retained. He will have Cross' Taradale co-coach Steve Bennett on his coaching panel.

Both the Hawke's Bay under-16 and under-14 teams will have three-strong coaching panels. Stu Drew, Pouri Rakete-Stones and Doug McNaughton will be in charge of the under-16s and Matt Wyatt, Steve Smithers and Paul Teddy the under-14s.

Last year's duo of Andrew Hui and Ford Panirau will again co-coach the Hawke's Bay under-13s.