Rugby: Former Boys' High four reunite for Bay

Rotoiti player Te Ra Whata in action against Tauranga Sports at Emery Park. Photo/Ben Fraser

Former Rotorua Boys' High School teammates Kaleb Trask, Te Ra Whata, Raniera Whakataka and Matt Van Leuwen are set to be reunited in the Bay of Plenty Under-19 squad.

Now playing club rugby, Trask at Tauranga Sports, Whata and Whakataka at Rotoiti and Van Leuwen at Whakarewarewa, all four have been named in the Mike Rogers coached under-19 squad. Also in the squad are Keegan Rowley (Whakarewarewa) and Tame Curtis (Rotoiti).

Rogers said the squad was selected following a thorough and transparent process that included pre-season games in February, the recent Bay of Plenty Rugby Academy tour to Samoa and monitoring of players through club rugby and a series of training sessions.

"All of the players selected have demonstrated both the commitment and talent required to compete on the national stage. It is particularly pleasing that we have players from 11 different Bay of Plenty clubs, which demonstrates a good spread of talent around our province. We are sure that the players selected are going to do Bay of Plenty proud."

The under-19 side will play three pre-season games the first against Yorkshire Under-20, followed by Auckland Under-19 and Manawatu Under-19 before their season commences on Saturday, August 19 with a home game against Counties Manukau.

Counties Manukau will be the first of three seeding games with the remaining two against Taranaki and Waikato before competing in the Jock Hobbs Memorial National Under-19 Tournament in September.

Te Puke Sport's Joe Johnston has been named as captain after impressing with his leadership skills on the recent tour to Samoa. Johnston will be assisted by Trask, another former New Zealand Secondary Schools Barbarians player who has been named as vice-captain.

Bay of Plenty Under 19 Squad:
Forwards: Sione Afu (Arataki), Tevita Mafileo (Tauranga Sports), Jarryd Broughton (Te Puke Sports), Champ Betham (Tauranga Sports), Liam Morrison (Te Puna), Dymond Ioane (Te Puke Sports), Cheyenne Dalley (Te Puke Sports), Raniera Whakataka (Rotoiti), Sam Bright (Rangataua), Stan Van Den Hoven (Greerton Marist), Ricky Van Der Heyden (Arataki), Matt Van Leuwen (Whakarewarewa), Iosefatu Mareko (Arataki), Joe Johnston (Te Puke Sports) - Captain Ajay Mua (Tauranga Sports), Harry Lloyd-Jones (Arataki), Arthur Leveanasiga (Rangataua).
Backs: Te Ra Whata (Rotoiti), Momo Niwa (Arataki), Keita Yamamoto (Te Puna), Keegan Rowley (Whakarewarewa), Kaleb Trask (Tauranga Sports) - Vice Captain, Tame Curtis (Rotoiti), Keanau Howe (Opotiki), Charlie Lawrence (Tauranga Sports), Will Ngatai (Te Puna), Nathan Rangihuna (Arataki), Rewita Biddle (Te Puna), Faasua Selau (Arataki), Oisin Clarken (Tauranga Sports), Aaron Tait (Tauranga Sports), Devin TeTai (Whakatane Marist), Steven Masters (Te Puna).