Whanganui Maori ready to run it this weekend

Roman Tutauha will captain Whanganui Maori at the Te Tini A Maui Rugby Tournament

It could be a full weekend of rugby for the Whanganui Maori team at this weekend's Te Tini A Maui Tournament in Levin with all the central provinces showing up.

Whanganui has been seeded second in the six-team competition by virtue of the fact only they and Wellington's Te Upoko o Te Ika played at last year's event in Masterton, with Te Upoko o Te Ika winning 36-22.

Whanganui are seeded on top of Division 2 with Wairarapa Bush and Horowhenua-Kāpiti.

Te Upoko o Te Ika is top seed of the tournament at the head of Division 1, along with Te Matau-a-Maui and Manawatū.

Whanganui's first game tomorrow will be at Wairarapa Bush at Playford Park at 10am, followed by Horowhenua-Kāpiti at 4pm, with the games having 30-35 minute halves.

"They do well on Saturday, they'll have the opportunity to play on Sunday," said assistant coach Jason Hamlin, who has been preparing the squad with Dennis Tucker.

The top teams from the two divisions will play off in the final at 12.45pm on Sunday.

The Whanganui team, captained by Roman Tutauha, is again a mixture of Steelform Whanganui players and those from the second tier of representative rugby, with the majority having been training once a week since early January.

This tournament is always a good opportunity to play an adventurous, free-flowing style and Hamlin agreed it was good to have a couple of games this time around.

"They just go out there, we just give them a few things to work to, then they do it themselves."

The Whanganui squad is
Wiremu Cottrell, Josh Hirini, Gabriel Hakaraia, Marek Willis, Roman Tutauha (c), Joe Edwards, Jack Hodges, Sam Madams, Cade Robinson, Tremaine Gilbert, Jamie Hughes, Kahl Elers-Green, Cameron Davies, Josh Fifita, Grayson Tihema, Ethan Robinson, Jaye Flaws, Troy Brown, Shaquille Waara, Te Rangitapu McLeod, Dane Whale, Cory Carmichael, Ben Whale, Te Uhi Hakaraia.