Rugby: Future Chiefs off to tour Hong Kong

IN FORM: Halfback Jono Kitto is one of seven Bay of Plenty players in Hong Kong with the Chiefs' development squad.PHOTO/FILE

The Chiefs' development squad, including seven Bay of Plenty players, have begun an eight-day tour of Hong Kong.

The 26-man squad will train for a match against the Hong Kong national squad. The tour is preparation for Hong Kong's upcoming test matches against South Korea and Japan and part of its future goal of qualifying for the RWC in 2019 in Japan.

The Chiefs' development side will also join the Hong Kong Rugby Union to undertake local rugby development with junior players and coaches.

Former Chiefs player and All Black Richard Kahui will join part of the tour in a personal capacity helping the squad and joining in community engagements.

Chiefs high performance manager Chris Tindall says the tour to Hong Kong is a great opportunity for the players' rugby and personal learning, develop-ment and experience.

"It is also a chance for these young players to impress for the future. We are looking forward to working alongside the Hong Kong Rugby Union in our shared rugby development for players and coaches in exchanges of activity between us to build a beneficial and progressive long-term partnership together."

The Chiefs' development touring squad contains promising young players from across the provincial unions that are part of the Chiefs region in Counties Manukau, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki.

The squad includes Atunaisa Moli, Scott Mellow and Brian Alainu'uese, who all played in the 2013 and 2014 IRB Junior World Cups, representing New Zealand and Samoa.

Moli, Ayden Johnstone, Fin Hoeata and Shaun Stevenson have played for the New Zealand Secondary Schools over the past two years.