NPC - news, injuries etc
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Thompson's signing was already announced in January on FB; this article was posted on the Turbos website today.
Consistency key for All Black hopeful Thompson
Rob Thompson is confident he can push for an All Blacks spot, but he is not sweating on a call up. The Highlanders midfielder was in Palmerston North during the break in the Super Rugby season and took the opportunity to pull on his Manawatu Turbos kit ahead of his debut season with his home province. But many were tipping the 26-year-old to be in Auckland with the All Blacks instead, such has been his form for the southernmost franchise this season. Thompson said he had not heard from the All Blacks coaches, nor had he expected to. “I was not expecting anything. I know that I can put myself in a position to compete for an opportunity now after reflecting on the season so far. I will look to grow as a player from this season skillset-wise and knowledge of the game. If it happens it happens,” he said. He hoped consistency with the Highlanders and the Turbos would help get him across the line in terms of a national call-up.Thompson called time on his 49-game tenure with Canterbury earlier this year to return to Manawatu. The Palmerston North Boys’ High School product said the passing of his father and Varsity coaching stalwart Geoff Thompson last year spurred his desire to spend more time with his family. “My old man past away [last year]. It really hit home that I wanted to come home and be with my family again. “For me it is all about being there for my younger nephews coming through. I want to show them that if they are gifted, they can make a career out of playing sport.” Thompson played his rugby in Manawatu for Varsity, a club he played one game for last season, before heading off to Canterbury in 2012. He played for High School Old Boys in Canterbury where he was coached by Aaron Mauger. He cracked the Canterbury provincial team in 2013. “When I went down there I thought, ‘This is my last chance of cracking it, if I don’t I will probably have to give up’. I went down really focused on being a professional rugby player. “[In Canterbury] taught me how to play to a system. I did not know anything about structure when I went down, I was pretty freestyle at Massey. I was just young, I did not have much of an idea. Canterbury kept me in a system where I was looked after well and it all panned out.” Thompson was called into the Crusaders in 2014, before linking with the Highlanders in 2016. Earlier this year he inked a two-year extension with the Highlanders seeing him through to the end of the 2020 season. When Thompson’s playing days eventually come to an end, he already knows his next step. “I want to train race horses after professional rugby. We grew up in the racing industry. I worked at the stables for Jeff Lindsay. I still have a lot to do with him and he has been a mentor since I was 13. He stills rings me, to this day, every week.” But he has a long rugby career ahead of him yet before the call of the stables take over. -
New Manawatu signing:
The 20-year-old wing, who played for the Hurricanes Development XV this year, inked his first provincial rugby contract with the Manawatu Turbos this week.Raised in Levin, Tofa spent most of his high school years at Horowhenua College where he started as a first five-eighth before shifting to the midfield and wing. He moved to rugby powerhouse Rotorua Boys’ High School for his final year of school. From there he moved to Christchurch playing in the Canterbury club competition where he was a standout for the University club and played provincial sevens. Last year he made a brief shift to Invercargill late in the club season, but injuries scuppered his chances of playing provincial rugby. A visit home to Levin just before Christmas convinced him to look at his options closer to home so he opted for Manawatu. -
Not sure whether this has been posted before, but Canadian lock Evan Olmstead has signed with Auckland for the 2018 Mitre 10 Cup season.
Olmstead heading to Auckland for Mitre 10 Cup - Americas Rugby News
Evan Olmstead will be packing his bags and heading south once his June test commitments are over. The big Canadian lock has signed with New Zealand province Auckland for the upcoming Mitre 10 Cup provincial competition. He departs Newcastle Falcons after two seasons with the English Premiership...
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@stargazer Interesting find. Auckland could be short at lock this year, with all the injuries and a few players departing.
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@tim said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
Interesting find. Auckland could be short at lock this year, with all the injuries and a few players departing.
I see Jack Whetton is playing club rugby in Auckland. He's not as good as the injured/leaving locks but he maybe he's going to return to the NPC?
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74K views · 962 reactions | 1995 - Counties vs Canterbury at Pukekohe...
1995 fixture, a very handy Counties side beat Canterbury 41-39 scoring some great tries. RIP to two Counties legends playing in this game, Jonah Lomu &...
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@stargazer said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
Pre-season game:
Counties Manukau Cavaliers v Ta$man
Wednesday, 27 June; k/o 1.15pm
Mountfort Park - ManurewaAccording to CM's Facebook page, Kieran Read will play in that game!
Several players returning from injury in this game!
I see that Ta$man is becoming quite a Havili family affair, with both David's brother and cousin in the squad.
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@chris-b said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
@crucial He's skipping both to play for the Mitsubishi Dynaboars during the NPC - though hopefully for him he's got an out-clause if selected for the ABs.
Hopefully Todd has the same clause
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Tomorrow, there's a preseason game in Palmerston North between the Manawatu Evergreens and Hawke's Bay Saracens. K/o 6.00pm at the Sports & Rugby Institute.
Here's the Manawatu line-up. Note that Jade Te Rure is still there.
15 Cody Hemi (Varsity)
14 Awatere Kiwara (COB)
13 Shai Wiperi (FOBO)
12 Hamish Northcott (Varsity)
11 James Tofa (COB)
10 Ben Wyness (Feilding)
9 Atu Henare (Kia Toa)
8 Jordan Stewart (Te Kawau)
7 Tyler Moeau (FOBO)
6 Liam Mitchell (Te Kawau)
5 Nick Crosswell (Feilding)
4 Mickey Woolliams (Varsity)
3 Gene Syminton (COB)
2 Tim Cadwallader (COB)
1 Sean Rankin (Feilding)Reserves: Sam Stewart (Te Kawau), Sean Paranihi (FOBO)/ Taumutu Afemui-Nohotima (Kia Toa), Jackson Iose (Kia Toa), Sam Wasley (Feilding), Griffin Culver (Feilding), Jade Te Rure (Kia Toa), Luther Hirini (OBM), Adam Boult (Te Kawau).
Not considered due to injury, suspension or Super Rugby commitments were Te Rangatira Waitokia, Junior Laloifi, Jono Ihaka, Ueta Tufuga, Ben Werthmuller, George Macpherson, Liam Hallam-Eames, Brice Henderson, Antonio Kiri Kiri, Otere Black, Jamie Booth, Fraser Armstrong, Brayden Iose, Ngani Laumape, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Heiden Bedwell-Curtis, Michael Alaalatoa, Aaron Smith, Jackson Hemopo, Rob Thompson and Kayne Hammington.
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The Hawke's Bay squad can be found here on the Magpies forum.
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@stargazer said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
Note that Jade Te Rure is still there.
The Hurricanes could do worse for a backup 10.
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@stargazer said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
Tomorrow, there's a preseason game in Palmerston North between the Manawatu Evergreens and Hawke's Bay Saracens. K/o 6.00pm at the Sports & Rugby Institute.
Here's the Manawatu line-up. Note that Jade Te Rure is still there.
15 Cody Hemi (Varsity)
14 Awatere Kiwara (COB)
13 Shai Wiperi (FOBO)
12 Hamish Northcott (Varsity)
11 James Tofa (COB)
10 Ben Wyness (Feilding)
9 Atu Henare (Kia Toa)
8 Jordan Stewart (Te Kawau)
7 Tyler Moeau (FOBO)
6 Liam Mitchell (Te Kawau)
5 Nick Crosswell (Feilding)
4 Mickey Woolliams (Varsity)
3 Gene Syminton (COB)
2 Tim Cadwallader (COB)
1 Sean Rankin (Feilding)Reserves: Sam Stewart (Te Kawau), Sean Paranihi (FOBO)/ Taumutu Afemui-Nohotima (Kia Toa), Jackson Iose (Kia Toa), Sam Wasley (Feilding), Griffin Culver (Feilding), Jade Te Rure (Kia Toa), Luther Hirini (OBM), Adam Boult (Te Kawau).
Not considered due to injury, suspension or Super Rugby commitments were Te Rangatira Waitokia, Junior Laloifi, Jono Ihaka, Ueta Tufuga, Ben Werthmuller, George Macpherson, Liam Hallam-Eames, Brice Henderson, Antonio Kiri Kiri, Otere Black, Jamie Booth, Fraser Armstrong, Brayden Iose, Ngani Laumape, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Heiden Bedwell-Curtis, Michael Alaalatoa, Aaron Smith, Jackson Hemopo, Rob Thompson and Kayne Hammington.
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The Hawke's Bay squad can be found here on the Magpies forum.
Manawatu are not short of a halfback
