Rugby: Rookie Magpie gets Under-20s NZ call-up

Hawke’s Bay’s association with national Under-20 rugby teams in international tournaments continues with the selection of first five-eighths Will Cole in a 31-man squad for a four-nations competition in South Africa next month.

The squad was named by New Zealand Rugby on Monday for the tournament with South Africa, Australia and Argentina, after which a squad will be named for the 12-team World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy on June 29-July 19.

Cole grew up in Wairarapa and played in the Rathkeale College First XV in 2023 before heading north for premier club rugby and scoring over 100 points in his debut season with Havelock North last year.

He was one of several new Magpies in a Ranfurly Shield defence against King Country last year, and played for Super Rugby franchise the Hurricanes in the national Under-20 tournament in Taupō last month.

Three Hawke’s Bay players appeared in last year’s Under 20 World Cup – lock Tom Allen and prop Joshua Smith for New Zealand and Patrick Tuifua, for France - while Cole also follows in the Under-20 footsteps of first five-eighths and fullback Harry Godfrey, now an established Hurricane and Magpie.

Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today and has 52 years of journalism experience, 42 of them in Hawke’s Bay, in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.