Rugby: Renton signs three-year deal with home union

Former Hurricanes under-18 representative Hugh Renton is the latest promising player from the province to sign a three-year deal with the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union.

The Lindisfarne College head prefect and loose forward joins his 1st XV teammate and winger in Mason Emerson, Magpies and New Zealand under-20 lock Geoff Cridge and former Hawke's Bay age group representative midfielder Jonah Lowe, who attends Kings College in Auckland.

Union CEO Mike Bishop described the quartet's deals as "a real coup" for the union. Magpies head coach Craig Philpott was equally delighted.

"Hugh is a very impressive loose forward who is tipped to go a long way in rugby and we are delighted he has chosen to remain with his home province through until the end of 2017," Philpott said.

"We believe that each of these young guys has the potential to make a significant impact in New Zealand Rugby over the next few years and look forward to them pressing their claim to a Magpies jersey," Philpott added.

All four have also been contracted to the Hurricanes franchise for an extended period. Renton, a son of former Magpie Paul Renton, and Cridge have signed long-term agreements with the Hurricanes and Emerson and Lowe, a brother of Magpies centurion and former Hurricane and New Zealand Maori flanker Karl Lowe, are part of the Hurricanes academy programme which illustrates the joint initiative between the Bay union and Hurricanes to retain talent within the region.