Whanganui Māori/Pacifika footy doubleheader with Taranaki at Cooks Gardens

Tongan and Fijian players will join the traditional Samoan line-up for the Pacifika side to take on Taranaki in a unique doubleheader with a Whanganui Māori XV at Cooks Gardens on Saturday.

It will be a festival of rugby at Cooks Gardens on Saturday as both the Whanganui Māori and a new Wanganui Pasifika squad will play their Taranaki counterparts in a representative double-header.

Large extended squads were named at the start of the week to attend two training sessions on the Tuesday and Thursday nights - Spriggens Park for the Māori and Kaierau Country Club for the Pasifika squad.

Coached by Dylan Ratana, Whanganui Māori will keep alive their recent competitive rivalry with Taranaki Maori for the 124-year-old Tuera Shield.

A strong Whanganui squad, bolstered by Steelform Wanganui players during the Heartland Championship preseason, regained the Shield in Hawera in August 2019.

It was a day when Taranaki player resources had been stretched, due to Super Rugby, a Taranaki NPC squad preseason match being held, and a Taranaki Development XV taking on the rest of the Wanganui Heartland squad.

The Pasifika squad will be unique among WRFU representative sides - bringing together local players of Samoan, Tongan and Fijian extraction.

Previously, the Wanganui Samoa representative team had been established in 2018, having grown out of the original Marton Samoans side.

They achieved their greatest success in that 2018 season by upsetting Hawke's Bay Samoa in the final of the High Commissioners Cup tournament.

Their head coach Ace Malo will also take on this role.

Those invited to train are a solid mix of players from both the Tasman Tanning Premier and Senior club competitions.

As expected, Ratana, Ruapehu and Taihape players provide the bulk of the Māori squad, while the Pasifika team is heavily weighted towards the Kaierau and Ngamatapouri clubs.

Both squads have a handful of players with Heartland Championship experience.

The players invited to training are

Whanganui Māori

Forwards: Peter Travis Hay-Horton (Taihape); Teira Cowan (Taihape); Tremaine Gilbert (Taihape); Morvin Trow (Ruapehu); Te Uhi Hakaraia (Ruapehu); Dawson Sisson (Ruapehu); Kevin McDonnell (Ruapehu); Dale Akukata (Ratana); Sam Madams (Border); Malcolm Hepi (Counties); Anthony Whanarere-Nahona (Counties); Johnny Prince (Kaierau); Kohlt Coveny (Kaierau); Mairangi Tamehana (Ngamatapouri); Francis Potaka (Ratana); Hoani Rameka (Taihape); Paki Martin (Ratana); Tawhiwhi

Karaitiana (Ratana); Shade Tuaine-Whanau (Ratana); Kereti Tamou (Ratana); Braydon Haimona (Ratana); Ezekial Anderson (Ruapehu); Timi Teepa (Taihape); Paki Martin (Ratana).

Backs: Ryan Karatau (Taihape); Tiari Mumby (Taihape); Tyrese Payne (Taihape); Sefo Bourke (Taihape); Jaye Flaws (Taihape); Andre McDonnell (Ruapehu); Kahl Elers-Green (Ruapehu); Takarangi Metekingi (Ruapehu); Logan Blackburn (Collegiate/Ruapehu); Tumanako Woon (Counties); Tyrone Albert (Border); Isaiah Graham-Hooper (Border); Anaru Haerewa (Border); Te Kepa Grindlay (Border); Lamaire Meunier (Marist); Rangi Kui (Marist); Jamie Robertson (Ratana); Bernard Matthews (Ratana); Te Tua Kemp (Ratana); Brooklyn Herewini (Ratana).

Wanganui Pasifika

Forwards: Tai Pulemagafa (Kaierau); Isaac Laginikora (Kaierau); David Mariner (Ngamatapouri); Bull Vaivela (Pirates); Renato Tikoisolomone (Border); Viki Tofa (Marist); Arasi Filo (Ratana); Stan Puapii (Kaierau); Lasa Ulukuta (Kaierau); Kitiono Leitupo (Kaierau); Raponi Tofa (Marist); Lake Ah-Chong (Marist); Faith Esera (Kaierau); Alex Mulipola (Marton); Frances Vakadranu (Kaierau); Josefa Rokotakala (Kaierau); Josefa Tamaniyaga (Ngamatapouri); Tau Faalili (Kaierau); Te Kopae Filo (Ngamatapouri); Augustine Veikoso (Kaierau); Samu Kubunavanua (Ngamatapouri); Epeli Delasau (Ngamatapouri).

Backs: Oliva Leisina (Marton); Pati Leo (Marist); Deni Caucau (Ngamatapouri); Metua Nanai (Kaierau); Dawai Navitito (Ngamatapouri); Ioane Aki-Hough (Marist); CJ Stowers (Kaierau); Tex Seduadua (Ratana); Barba Nuualiitia (Kaierau); Ezra Malo (Cullinane); Emitai Logadraudrau (Ngamatapouri); Dillon Adrole (Kaierau); Dawai Navitio (Ngamatapouri)