WILL HE, WON'T HE?: Timoci Serawalu, here about to score the match-winning try for Ngamatapouri in Saturday's club sevens final, is swaying between Wanganui and Manawatu loyalties.PHOTO/BEVAN CONLEY
WILL HE, WON'T HE?: Timoci Serawalu, here about to score the match-winning try for Ngamatapouri in Saturday's club sevens final, is swaying between Wanganui and Manawatu loyalties.PHOTO/BEVAN CONLEY
THE Wanganui representative sevens rugby squad is looking strong on paper at least with six players from the Settlers Honey Club championship winning Ngamatapouri side named.
Apensia Ratugoleanavanua, Isireli Baleitavuki, Samu Kubunavanua, Trinity Spooner-Neera, Bryn Hudson and Timoci Serawalu have been named in the initial 18-man squad to begin trainingat Cooks Gardens tomorrow evening.
Patrick Hiscox played for Ngamatapouri in the Wanganui Club Sevens competition in Marton on Saturday, although he is a Pirates player.
Hudson will be missing from the first training run tomorrow with his focus firmly on helping the New Zealand Heartland 15-aside team beat the Australian Barbarians in Wanganui on Friday.
The big talking point, however, is the loyalty of Serawalu who has played for the Manawatu sevens side for the past two seasons.
Wanganui Rugby Union club liaison officer Paul Kenny said Serawalu had verbally committed to Wanganui, although the word was that Manawatu thought he had verbally committed to them also.
"We are reluctant to release him because he has played rugby here in Wanganui all season - we'll see what happens," Kenny said.
Serawalu scored the match-winning try for Ngamatapouri in the club sevens final on Saturday.
The squad will train under coach Tom Wells at Cooks Gardens tomorrow at 6.30pm and then Monday and Thursday next week in preparation for the team's first assignment against the Heartland Sevens at Te Kuiti on November 21 and the Central Sevens in Levin on December 12.
-The full 2015 Initial Training Squad for Wanganui Men's Sevens: Ace Malo, Apenisa Ratugoleanavanua, Ben Whale, Bobo Ulukuta, Bryn Hudson, Dane Whale, Isireli Baleitavuki, Jaye Flaws, Kameli Kuruyabaki, Kieran Hussey, Patrick Hiscox, Samu Kubunavanua, Te Tua Kemp, Timoci Serawalu, Tom Symes, Tremaine Gilbert, Trinity Spooner-Neera, Tyler Rogers-Holden.
