Two Wanganui Collegiate 1st XV players have made the 23-man Hurricanes under-18 development squad to play a one-off match against a Chiefs selection today in Taupo.
Lock Jonathan Osborne and open-side flanker Te Atuarere Albert will join the squad, the first assembled by the Hurricanes Youth Rugby Council in two years.
The Collegiate lads and their new teammates join an illustrious group with 16 of the 2013 Hurricanes Super Rugby players having also been through the development programme, including All Blacks Victor Vito, Dane Coles, Beauden Barrett and Julian Savea.
This camp is an annual programme delivered by the Hurricanes Youth Rugby Council on behalf of New Zealand rugby.
Both Albert and Osbourne opted to stay home for this opportunity rather than join their Collegiate teammates on a three-match tour of Australia that ends today when the Collegiate 1st XV plays Sydney Grammar in Sydney.
Collegiate went down 5-3 in a close encounter with the Hunter Hill Colts in Sydney in the tour opener last Thursday, before annihilating Daramalan College in Canberra on Sunday 55-0.
Collegiate coach Guy Lennox, who left assistant Barry Touzel in charge of the Australia tour, said while he had not heard whether Atuarere or Osbourne would get game time today, he would be surprised if they didn't.
"Both are very good players and deserve time on the paddock. I'd be surprised if Osbourne didn't make the starting line-up because I understand the Hurricanes are lacking locks," Lennox said yesterday.
The Hurricanes team comprises age eligible players from across the nine provincial unions who form the Hurricanes region and were scouted during games in the Central North Island First XV competition.
"The addition of this game to our 2013 programme is an important part of strengthening the link between our age group teams and the Hurricanes Super Rugby franchise. We hope that the experience of playing for the Hurricanes at a junior level increases the desire to potentially represent the franchise as a professional player," Hurricanes Youth Council chairman Gordon Noble-Campbell said.
The match kicks off at 1.30pm.
Squad
Jonathan Osbourne (Wanganui), Te Atuarere Albert (Wanganui), Hugh Renton (Hawke's Bay), Mason Emerson (Hawke's Bay), Sam McNicol (Hawke's Bay), Shae Tucker (Hawke's Bay), Vinny Guildford (Hawke's Bay), Keilan Henry (Manawatu), Travis Taylor (Manawatu), Micaiah Tarrence-Reed (Poverty Bay), Josh Dowsing (Taranaki), Logan Crowley (Taranaki), Reuben O'Neil (Taranaki), Scott Mellows (Taranaki), Fereti Sola (Wellington), Henry Stowers (Wellington), James Blackwell (Wellington), Lester Mauleto (Wellington), Luke Campbell (Wellington), Malo Tuitama (Wellington), TJ Va'a (Wellington), Varani Komaisavi'l (Wellington) and Leni Apisai (Wellington).