The 2021 Waikato rugby club season once again brings together a pool of players who have played for many representative teams, with some surprise players playing regularly or having cameo appearances.
The likes of Brendon McCullum, Carlos Spencer and Te Maire Martin headlined last year's club season in the Waikato and this year these three are once again in the mix – although Spencer has stuck to roaming the side-lines.
Plenty of former international, Super Rugby and NPC players are spread throughout the Premiership and Championship grades, as well as current Chiefs players who turn out for a different province in the Bunnings Warehouse NPC.
And of course, several Heartland rugby players also feature in the competition – predominantly King Country players for Ōtorohanga.
A range of experienced coaches head up and assist this year's squads, as well as a few player/coaches like former All Black Adam Thomson and former sevens star Declan O'Donnell.
The women's competition is also full of talent and 2021 has seen women's rugby, sevens and rugby league legend Honey Hireme-Smiler line up for her home club Putāruru.
Below is a "Waikato Men's Club Rugby XV", followed by a list of other rep players and then a "Waikato Women's Club Rugby XV".
Some of the men's players have represented the club at B level but they are just listed per club not team.
Other players may be out of their normal position but can also play where they have been listed.
*denotes international representative
WAIKATO MEN'S CLUB RUGBY XV 2021:
1. ATU MOLI* – University
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Waikato, Tasman, Chiefs, All Blacks
2. HAEREITI HETET* – Ōtorohanga
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Māori All Blacks, Fiji
3. VILIAME SEUSEU* – Ōtorohanga
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Fiji
4. ANTHONY WISE* – Ōtorohanga
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Waikato, King Country, Fiji
5. ZANE KAPELI* – Hamilton Marist
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Chiefs, Tonga
6. ADAM THOMSON* – Hamilton Old Boys
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Otago, Waikato, Highlanders, Reds, Rebels, Chiefs, All Blacks
7. TOM FLORENCE – Hautapu
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Taranaki, Highlanders, Chiefs
8. LIAM MESSAM* – Hautapu
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Waikato, Chiefs, Māori All Blacks, All Blacks
9. VAVAO AFEMAI* – Te Awamutu Sports
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Samoa
10. ISAAC BOSS* – Southern United
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Waikato, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Ireland
11. ARMYN SANDERS – Pirongia
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Waikato, Counties Manukau, Thames Valley, Wairarapa Bush
12. DWAYNE SWEENEY – Morrinsville
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Waikato, Chiefs, Māori All Blacks
13. JOSH GASCOIGNE* – Hautapu
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Waikato, Netherlands
14. SELESITINO RAVUTAUMADA – Hamilton Old Boys
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Warriors 9s – rugby league
15. TE MAIRE MARTIN* – Ōtorohanga
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Penrith Panthers, North Queensland Cowboys, New Zealand Kiwis (all rugby league)
Other players/coaches of note and their representative teams:
Fraser Tech – D'Angelo Leuila (Auckland), George Dyer (Waikato), Hugo Nankivell (Waikato), Liam Coombes-Fabling (Waikato), Matty Lansdown (Waikato/Māori All Blacks), Rhys Dickinson (Waikato), Valynce Te Whare (Waikato), Peni Iowane (Waikato), Sam Christie (Waikato/Western Force), Daniel Teka - Coach (Waikato), Greg Smith* - Coach (Waikato/Chiefs/Fiji)
Hamilton Marist – Leigh Bristowe (Poverty Bay), Newton Tudreu (Manawatū/Waikato), Bailyn Sullivan (Waikato/Chiefs), Josh Balme (King Country), Quade Tapsell (Poverty Bay), Jack Lam (Tasman/Waikato/Hurricanes/Samoa), Murray Driver – Coach (Waikato/Wellington/Highlanders), Leon Holden – Coach (Thames Valley)
Hamilton Old Boys – Vance Elliott (Waikato), Sam Cooper (Waikato), Jonty Rae (Northland), Dean Devcich (Marlborough), Xavier Roe (Taranaki/Waikato/Chiefs), Shaun Stevenson (Waikato/North Harbour/Chiefs/Māori All Blacks), Rob Cobb (Waikato/Chiefs), Sosaia Fale (Waikato) Aled de Malmanche* - Coach (Waikato/Chiefs/Junior All Blacks/Māori All Blacks/All Blacks)
Hautapu – Mosese Dawai (Waikato), Nico Aandewiel (Thames Valley), James Thompson (Waikato), Hamilton Burr (Waikato), Mitch Jacobson (Waikato/Chiefs/Sunwolves), Sean Hohneck – Coach (Waikato/Chiefs/Māori All Blacks)
Melville – Rameka Poihipi (Canterbury/Chiefs/Māori All Blacks), Rivez Reihana (Waikato/Northland/Chiefs), Jacob Ale (Waikato), Kylem O'Donnell (Taranaki/Waikato), Carlos Spencer* - Coach (Horowhenua- Kāpiti/Auckland/Blues/Lions/Māori All Blacks/All Blacks), Declan O'Donnell - Player/Coach (Waikato/Taranaki/Chiefs/Blues/Māori All Blacks)
Morrinsville – Ben Bonnar (Thames Valley), Bryce Cowley (Thames Valley), Rupert Elworthy (Mid Canterbury), Tayne Tupaea (King Country), Todd Doolan (East Coast/North Harbour), Lance McIntyre (Thames Valley)
Ōhaupō – Mitch Graham - Coach (Canterbury/Taranaki/Chiefs), Jordan Farrington – Coach (Whanganui)
Ōtorohanga – Ted Tauroa (Waikato/Bay of Plenty/King Country), Joe Perawiti (Waikato/King Country), Murray Iti (Waikato), Solo Korovata (King Country/Waikato/Northland), James Hemara (King Country), Evaan Reihana (King Country), Doug Clapcott (King Country), Dion Pye (King Country), Baven Brown (King Country), Josh Ostern (King Country), Jeremy Iti (King Country), Peter-Lee Ratima – Coach (King Country)
Suburbs – Gareth Williams – Coach (Thames Valley)
Taupiri – Jimmy Piesse – Coach (Thames Valley)
Te Awamutu Sports – Gordon Fullerton (Old Glory DC – Major League Rugby), Gideon Wrampling (Waikato/Chiefs), Jackson Willison - Coach (Waikato/Chiefs/Blues/Māori All Blacks)
United Matamata Sports – Joe Apikotoa (Wellington/Hawke's Bay/Chiefs), Brendon McCullum (Black Caps – Cricket), Alex Thrupp (King Country)
University – Louis Rogers (Waikato), Sekope Lopeti-Moli (Waikato), Paul Hodder – Coach (Waikato)
Someone else who should be included? Let us know! teawamutu.sport@nzme.co.nz
WAIKATO WOMEN'S CLUB RUGBY XV 2021:
1. GRACE HOUPAPA-BARRETT – Ōtorohanga
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Waikato, Chiefs
2. MERANIA PARAONE – Kihikihi
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Waikato
3. TANYA KALOUNIVALE – Hamilton Old Boys
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Waikato, Chiefs
4. CHYNA HOHEPA – Kihikihi
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Waikato, Chiefs, Black Ferns Sevens
5. MIA ANDERSON – University
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Northland, Waikato
6. ASHLEE GABY-SUTHERLAND – Melville
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Waikato
7. EMMA-LEE HETA – Kihikihi
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Waikato
8. KENNEDY SIMON* – Hamilton Old Boys
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Waikato, Chiefs, Black Ferns
9. ARIANA BAYLER – Hamilton Old Boys
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Waikato, Chiefs
10. KIRIANA NOLAN – Kihikihi
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Waikato
11. CORTEZ TE POU – Hamilton Marist
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Hawke's Bay
12. RENEE HOLMES* – Hamilton Old Boys
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Hawke's Bay, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Chiefs, Black Ferns
13. RINA PARAONE – Kihikihi
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: North Harbour, Waikato
14. HANNAH BROUGH – Ōtorohanga
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Waikato
15. HONEY HIREME-SMILER* – Putāruru
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Waikato, Black Ferns, Black Ferns Sevens, Kiwi Ferns – rugby league