Whanganui rugby now switches to the Steelform representative squad

With the Tasman Tanning club season out of the way, Whanganui rugby now switches to the Steelform representative squad which swings into action this weekend.

There will be three weekends of warm-up fixtures before the Butcher Boys host Thames Valley in the opening qualifying round of the Bunnings Warehouse national Heartland provincial championship at Cooks Gardens on Saturday, August 12.

The Whanganui selectors, under head coach Jason Hamlin, held a training camp at the Kaierau County Club last Friday (Matariki day) with a 35-player squad put through their paces.

Nineteen forwards, five of them new to local rep rugby, and 15 backs, including seven newcomers, were chosen after late withdrawals because of work commitments by Marist utility forward Lake Ah Chong and Ruapehu half-back Kahl Elers-Greene.

Whanganui meets a Manawatu Evergreens XV and a NZ Defence Force XV in a “Game of Three Halves” on Cooks Gardens starting at 1.30pm this Saturday.

The last time Three Halves were played as non-first class fixtures was at Taihape’s Memorial Park in 2018 when Whanganui beat the Evergreens 14-12 and lost 12-24 to a Bay of Plenty XV.

It will be the 11th time Whanganui has played the Evergreens since 2009 with two victories – 40-38 away in 2010 and 14-12 at Taihape in the 2018 Half Game with the 2014 match drawn 7-all on Cooks Gardens.

The most recent fixture was last year in Feilding with the hosts winning 38-15. The heaviest loss was 52-7 locally in 2017, with the visitors scoring eight tries to one (by Campbell Hart).

The last time the Butcher Boys played a military side was at Rochfort Park, Ōhakune, in 2013 with Sailosi Nagicu, Jason Temara, Aaron Yadiga, Ace Malo, Andrew Evans, and Soonalote Tauailote scoring tries and Tom Wells (3) and Malo kicking conversions in a 38-6 victory.

Whanganui meets the Hawke’s Bay Saracens XV in Taihape on Saturday, July 29, and the Wellington Centurions XV at Trentham on August 5, a week before the start of Heartland Rugby.

Kaierau Ex-Reps Return

Two former Kaierau representatives – loose forward Raymond Horrocks and front rower Raymond Salu – have been named in the Whanganui training squad.

Horrocks, captain of the Kaiwhakas this year, played nine times for the Butcher Boys as a 21-year-old loan player from Te Kawau. Whanganui was beaten 40-30 by Buller in a home Lochore Cup semifinal that season.

Salu repped eight times for Whanganui in 2019, scoring five tries with the side beaten 33-19 by North Otago in the Meads Cup final in Ōamaru.

Midfield back Timoci Seruwalu, who has scored 90 points for the Butcher Boys in his 31 games since 2017, is a trialist who played for College OB in Manawatū this season when Ngamatapouri went into recess.

There are two Hawke’s Bay club forwards – ex-Border No 8 Semi Vodesese (23 local rep caps) and last year’s Whanganui Collegiate School 1st XV skipper Konradd Newland, an HB Pirates front rower who repped for NZ Barbarian’s Schools.

Missing from the 2022 Whanganui squad are backs Caleb Gray (retired), Kahl Elers-Greene (work), Kameli Kuruyabaki, Ezra Malo, Jack O’Leary (Britain) and Ethan Robinson (Australia), and forwards Regan Collier and Faarfetai Pulemagafa (injured), Bradley Mountain (Manawatū), Jack Yarrall and Ben Whale (Britain) and Slade Hay-Horton.

Steelform Whanganui 2023 winder training squad –

Backs –

Border – Lindsay Horrocks (92 caps), Alekesio Vakarorogo (22), Silio Waqalevu.

Kaierau – Josh Brunger (Apprentice), Eben Classen (Apprentice), Peceli Malanicagi (7), Sheldon Pakinga, Apalosi Tanoa, Brook Tremayne.

Marist – Josaia Bogileka (21).

Taihape – Tiari Mumby (7), Tyler Rogers-Holden (29), Tawake Vuetibau, Dane Whale (68).

Manawatu COB – Timoci Seruwalu (31).

Forwards –

Border – Angus Middleton (26), Josefa Namosimalua, Ranato Tikoisolomone (27), Emmanuel Wineera.

Kaierau – Matt Ashworth (14), Doug Horrocks (9). Brett Joyes, Josh Lane (29), Raymond Salu (8). Neo Tichbon (Apprentice).

Marist – Samu Kubunavanua (47), Alesana Tofa, Keightley Watson (10).

Ruapehu – Gabriel Hakaraia ((42), Jamie Hughes (60), Roman Tutauha (91).

Taihape – Hadlee Hay-Horton (13), Peter Travis Hay-Horton( 20).

Central Hawke’s Bay – Semi Vodesese (23).

Hawke’s Bay Pirates – Konradd Newland.

The Heartland squad will be named after the three lead-up matches.