Four locals in NZ Heartland XV

Wanganui prop Viki Tofa will join the long list of local players chosen for the New Zealand Heartland XV.

Four Steelform Wanganui players have earned the ultimate honour for amateur players after being named in the 26-man New Zealand Heartland XV squad which will travel to Fiji in just over a week.

Incumbent flanker and captain Peter Rowe is included again, as is halfback Lindsay Horrocks, who made the national side last year.

Joining them to make their debuts are 20-year-old bolter Te Rangatira Waitokia, who has topped the Mitre 10 Heartland try-scorers list with 12 this year, and determined prop Viki Tofa, who played for New Zealand Marist against the Heartland team last year.

There are 15 new caps in the squad.

In another whirlwind tour, Heartland will play New Zealand Marist in the annual Ian McCrae Cup match on November 5, before heading to Fiji to face Nadi at Prince Charles Park on November 8, then Nadroga at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka on November 11.

While being undefeated heading into this weekend's Meads Cup final, Wanganui does not have the same representation as last year, when six players were chosen for the squad.

However, coaches Barry Matthews (South Canterbury) and Mutu Ngarimu (Poverty Bay) have gone with a wide mix of players, with 11 of the 12 Heartland unions being represented, including only two players - No 8 Dan Hytongue and first-five James Lash - from fellow finalists Buller.

East Coast are the only union not represented.

From Matthews' South Canterbury team, beaten in the Meads Cup semifinals, only incumbent prop Timaru Tafa and No8 Kieran Coll have made the cut.

"We've picked the team on form," said Matthews.

"It doesn't matter if you are an 18-year-old selected for the first time or a 36-year-old war horse, if they are playing good rugby, then we have picked them for the team.

"It proves the competitiveness of the competition that 11 of the provincial teams are represented in the squad.

"The team will only come together next week, so we will need to keep the game plan simple.

"That said, we have a big forward pack and some exciting backs, so we will want to use the ball a bit."

The Ian McCrae Cup match with Marist will be at Sacred Heart College in Glen Innes, Auckland.

The New Zealand Heartland XV squad is:

Dan Hytongue*, James Lash (Buller); Aaron Lahmert*, Willie Paia'aua*, Scott Cameron* (Horowhenua Kapiti); James Hemara, Zayn Tipping, John Koko*, Aarin Dunster (King Country); Jackson Donlan, Maleli Sau*, Nete Caucau* (Mid Canterbury); Ralph Darling, Lemi Masoe (North Otago); Everard Reid*, Siosiua Moala* (Poverty Bay); Timaru Tafa, Kieran Coll* (South Canterbury); Hayden Wisnewski* (Thames Valley); Eddie Cranston*, Sam Monaghan (Wairarapa Bush); Lindsay Horrocks, Peter Rowe, Viki Tofa*, Te Rangatira Waitokia* (Wanganui); Josh Manning* (West Coast).

*Denotes new cap.