Rugby: Wanganui Past Players suit up again for Cooks Gardens curtainraiser

Lasa Ulukuta, left, and Peter Rowe will team up again in the Wanganui Past Players squad to meet King Country on Saturday.

It will be another chance for the champions of yesteryear to roll back the clock as the curtain raiser game at Cooks Gardens will be Wanganui Past Players against their King Country counterparts on Saturday afternoon.

The 'Golden Oldies' style match was first played in Te Kuiti last year, and although officially these matches will be always recorded as a drawn result, Wanganui spent their side of it scoring 46 points in 60 minutes in 2018, compared to five in reply.

Invitational selection starts from a loose criteria of being over 30 years of age and having played a blazer (15) game for Wanganui, although there are plenty of exceptions.

Captained by 121 first class game-capped legend Peter Rowe, there are eight players in the Wanganui squad who have made over 50 provincial appearances in Rowe, Ace Malo, Jon Smyth, Fraser Hammond, Matt Gilbert, Simon Dibben, Steelie Koro and Cameron Crowley.

Even current WRFU chairman Jeff Phillips is down on the current list as one of the players to suit up, which would put him at the older age of the spectrum with three other squad members to have previously celebrated a 40th birthday.

The competition may be a little closer this year, as last year in Te Kuiti, Wanganui was able to call on Fijian test player Asaeli Tikoirotuma as well as other active club backs like double tryscorer Samu Kubunavanua, who is currently injured.

King Country have plenty of experienced players in the lineup they are bringing down, including player-coach Aarin Dunster (109 games), Glen Mulgrew (107), Baven Brown (79) and Jarmal Hona (74).

Kickoff is 12.45pm.

The squads (subject to change) are:

Wanganui
Brett Turner, Shane Ratima, Lance Devane, Andrew Slight, Nemia Adrole, Peter Rowe, David Gower, Lasa Ulukuta, Sean Brown, Mark Davis, Cameron Crowley, Steelie Koro, Pehira Huwyler, Simon Dibben, Aaron Paranihi, Matt Gilbert, Kim McNaught, Fraser Hammond, Jon Smyth, Leon Mason, Ace Malo, Denning Tyrell, Dennis Tucker, Jeff Phillips, Andrew Evans.

King Country
Jamie Maarhuis, Aaron Oliver, Bruce Huata, Anthony Kiff, Gene Waller, Josh Dais, Glen Mulgrew, Ted Tauroa, Jarmal Hona, Steve Te Moanaui, Dan Alofa, Greg Parkes, Jeremy Iti, Paul Olsen, Ross Fenton, Baven Brown, Craig Bell, Olly Ryan, Brian Mansfield, Bruce Bragg, Quentin Brears, Aarin Dunster.