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Home / Whanganui Chronicle / Sport

Speedsters back for 7s

By Jared Smith
Whanganui Chronicle·
5 Nov, 2015 08:00 PM4 mins to read

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SPEED MERCHANTS: Samu Samu Kubunavanua (left), Michael Nabuliwaqe and Trinity Spooner-Neera (right), will front for Ngamatapouri at the sevens tomorrow, while Poasa Waqanibau (centre right), will play for Border.PHOTO/FILE

SPEED MERCHANTS: Samu Samu Kubunavanua (left), Michael Nabuliwaqe and Trinity Spooner-Neera (right), will front for Ngamatapouri at the sevens tomorrow, while Poasa Waqanibau (centre right), will play for Border.PHOTO/FILE

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THERE will be all the familiar faces but some new jerseys for quite a few of them when the Settler's Honey Wanganui Club Sevens kicks off at Marton Park tomorrow morning.

It will be the second year of the resurrected tournament, with a Wanganui sevens team coached by Taihape's Tom Wells being selected at its conclusion to prepare for the Central qualifying tournament with a chance to make the national sevens in Queenstown in January.

The big movers to watch, literally, will be Ngamatapouri.

The club's main sponsor Henry Matthews has also thrown his support behind the sevens through his business, Settler's Honey.

Having completed their first season back in Wanganui rugby this year in the Senior competition, Ngamatapouri are understood to have signalled serious intentions for 2016 with the acquisition of Utiku Old Boys' Fijian players Michael Nabuliwaqe, Malakai Volou and the-already departed Samu Kubunavanua, who will be joined for the sevens by their Steelform Wanganui representative team mate Trinity Spooner-Neera.

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So this includes three of the four players who created 'that' 105m try in the Meads Cup final of the Pink Batts Heartland Championship, with the footage doing the rounds on social media.

The Ngamatapouri team have travelled to other sevens tournaments such as in the Manawatu and done very well.

"If the rumours are correct, they'll be strong, Border will be quite strong as well," said WRFU club liaison officer Paul Kenny.

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"Although with the seeds, we had to go with Kaierau and Taihape [at the top] as they played the final last year."

Both Ngamatapouri and Border come in for Utiku and Ruapehu, who will not play the tournament this year.

Border will be helmed by their Premier coach Ross Williams, and also have a handy side of representative players from the Wanganui Heartland and Development teams.

Kieran Hussey, last year's Wanganui Sevens captain, will lead a squad including Poasa Waqanibau, Ranato Tikoilosomone, Jack Hodges, Bobo Ulukuta, Tom Symes and representative cricketer Nick Harding.

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"Most are pretty new to sevens," Williams said.

"We'll have a bit of fun anyway, it's more about getting together, and pushing some for the reps.

"I'd like to see guys [chosen] like Kieran Hussey and Tom Symes - he's a guy for the future."

"I don't know how we'll go. We had a training run last Thursday, I saw a lot of blowing going on."

Waqanibau, Tikoilosomone and Ulukuta will be heading home after tomorrow and not available for the Wanganui team.

Defending champions Kaierau were still trying to confirm a full squad yesterday afternoon.

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"We still might have to pull out, a lot of the young guys are going to a 21st in Wellington," said club man Darren Munro.

The team has acquired speedy winger Clive Stowers from Pirates, coming over to play with his cousins, with Stowers honouring that commitment given Pirates were not originally going to put a team in but were then able to do so at the last minute.

The Kaierau veterans in Wanganui Heartland players Ace Malo and Areta Lama will front for them, as will other leading players Stu Brosnahan, Joe Edwards and Kameli Kuruyabaki.

Pirates Premier manager Dave Bilderbeck said they were able to muster a squad under coach Phillip Morris when a planned high school entry was pulled out.

"We've just quickly thrown one together."

They will put their faith in the young players from the Premiership-winning squad this year, such as Patrick Hiscox, Junior Ainea, and Ualesi Taumalesan, as well as newcomer Leti Aperaamo.

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Veteran fullback Samu Etuati will again return from Auckland, as he did for the Premier final.

Taihape are seeded the top of Pool A, followed by Ngamatapouri, Ratana and the tournament hosts Marton.

Pool B is possibly the tougher group with Kaierau heading Border, Pirates and Marist.

The top two teams from each pool will advance to the semifinals at 1.20pm, with the final being played at 3pm with ten minute halves.

Last year in wet conditions, Kaierau and Taihape were undefeated on their way to the final, with Kaierau winning the big game 31-0.

Conditions are expected to be drier this Saturday, which should see the style of play open up.

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The tournament starts at 10am, with the presentations at the Marton Rugby clubrooms at 3.45pm.

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