Whanganui Development XV back to defend silverware after a Covid-affected 2020 season

The Whanganui Development XV is back for a full season after Covid restricted last year to just one match against Manawatu Academy 2. Photo / Sarah Lourie

The Whanganui Development XV are back for a full campaign of games after the Covid-affected 2020 season restricted them to one match.

Whanganui are the defending RDO Shield holders from 2019 – the Rugby Development Officer's Shield is contested between 'B' and Māori representative teams in the lower North Island.

Since 2013, Whanganui have held the Shield every year with the exception of 2016, when Wairarapa Bush Development XV claimed it, while the prize was not defended in 2020.

The Development XV also serves as the feeder team into the Steelform Whanganui Heartland squad, as well as being the weigh station for Heartland squad members being rotated out on a given weekend, coming back from injury or looking to regain form.

Whanganui Māori have also held this status in seasons past, due to scheduling, but this year it is the Development XV, who will play after the Māori have completed their games, who take the full role.

Accordingly, a smaller lineup of 19 players has been announced to begin training this week, as they will be joined by whichever players come out of the current 31-man Heartland squad on given weekends.

There are four players named who played for the top Whanganui side during last year's shortened representative campaign – Marist's Jack Yarrall and Brad O'Leary, Border's Jack Hodges and Kaierau's Dillon Adrole.

The side will be coached by back-to-back Premier winning coach Cole Baldwin, in his first representative coaching assignment, and includes five members of his title-winning Border side.

Marist also have strong representation with five players, including Brad Graham who was the 2019 captain.

Their season kicks off against Poverty Bay Turanga in a halfway point meeting in Napier on August 28.

Then over September, the side will meet Wellington Samoans at home, Wellington Under 19 in the capital, King Country Development in Te Kuiti, and Wairarapa Bush Māori at home.

The invited squad is:

Forwards: Tai Pulemagafa (Kaierau); Ross McDonald (Border); Jack Yarrall (Marist); Brad O'Leary (Marist); Jack Hodges (Border); Temesi Vurakania (Ngamatapouri); Brad Graham (Marist); Mark Coogan (Utiku Old Boys); Regan Collier (Taihape); Ranato Tikoisolomone (Border).

Backs: Tyrone Albert (Border); Jack O'Leary (Metro); Dillon Adrole (Kaierau); Anaru Haerewa (Border); Remi Halpin (Ngamatapouri); Jamie Robertson (Marist); Ryan Karatau (Taihape); Ioane Hough (Marist); Emitai Logadraudrau (Ngamatapouri).