2021 New Zealand U20s

Rapido

The NZ Schoolboys team do (or did) appear to have a different eligibility criteria than the U20s because there is an extra chef in the kitchen (The New Zealand Schools Rugby Council ).

From 2017 NZH article, re: Tupou

But Tupou, who was born in Tonga, is not a New Zealand passport holder and will not be eligible to play for the national secondary schools team later this year.
The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU), in conjunction with the New Zealand Schools Rugby Council (NZSRC), has decreed only players with New Zealand passports can be picked

As recently as last year rugby administrators made exemptions for boys who didn't have passports as long as they had signed contracts with New Zealand provincial rugby unions. At this year's annual meeting, however, the NZSRC confirmed no exceptions would be made in 2014, meaning New Zealand will reject one of the most promising players in the country.

Obviously, this didn't apply pre 2014.

Does it still apply? who knows .... Segner played 2 years later.

Rapido

This post is deleted!

Bovidae

My understanding was because the NZ Schools team never plays at a WR-sanctioned tournament (e.g., U20 WC), NZR can have their own eligibility rules.

Canes4life

Stargazer

In Palmerston North under still, cloudy skies, the New Zealand U20s had their opening match of 2021 against a ‘Wellington XV’.

Both teams rans with engorged squads, Wellington playing a completely different XV in each half and the U20s making almost as many changes at halftime.

The match did not carry first-class status, and served as a glorified trial for both camps.

That stated, it was a proper scoring match and the New Zealand U20s won 40-0, outscoring Wellington six tries to nil.

The New Zealand U20s scored five tries in the first half and led 33-0 at halftime. The closest Wellington came to scoring was right at the end of the first half from a forwards drive at the line that was defended.

They scored first half tries through right wing Chay Fihaki (2, who also kicked four first half conversions), No. 8 Vaioilini Ekuasi, hooker Soane Vikena and fullback Ruben Love (who later moved into first five).

The second half was closer, as the scoreline suggests, but both teams turned over a lot of ball and the game became disjointed towards the end. The U20s finished their scoring about 10 minutes into the second half with a try to loose forward Fabian Holland from a penalty and lineout drive.

clubrugby / Jun 30, 2021

Wins for Wellington College, Mana College and NZ U20s in midweek matches

By Adam Julian & Steven White Wellington College beat Rongotai College in their annual traditional, Mana College locked the Beard Trophy away for the year by beating Aotea College and the New Z…

Stargazer

2021 Oceania Rugby U20 Championship Postponed

Following consultation with Rugby Australia and New Zealand Rugby, who were due to contest the title, Oceania Rugby announced today the tough decision to postpone the 2021 Oceania Rugby U20 Championship.

The Championship was scheduled to take place on Tuesday 6 and Saturday 10 July 2021 at Bond University on the Gold Coast Australia.

Due to the current COVID-19 outbreak in Australia Oceania Rugby with the two teams determined the evolving border restrictions presented unavoidable challenges in teams and officials assembling for the matches.

Oceania Rugby continues to adjust the 2021 tournament schedule and looks forward to announcing a new date for the 2021 Oceania Rugby U20 Championship.

Bovidae

https://www.allblacks.com/news/new-zealand-under-20-ready-for-home-campaign/

The New Zealand Under 20s have turned their attention to a domestic series of matches, with ongoing traveling restrictions seeing the cancellation of their Oceania fixtures against Australia, in Australia.
Due to fly to Australia for a two-match series, the team will now remain at home, with matches against a Harlequins XV, Ta$man Mako XV and the Cook Islands.

The New Zealand Under 20 campaign is:

v Wellington, June 30 in Palmerston North – 40-0 Win
v Harlequins XV, July 7 in Hamilton, kick off 2.30pm at FMG Stadium
v Ta$man Mako, July 11 in Blenheim, kick off 2.30pm at Lansdowne Park
v Cook Islands, July 17 in Auckland, kick off 12noon at Dilworth College

The New Zealand Under 20 team for today’s match is:

1: Joe Gavigan (Manawatu)
2: Soane Vikena (Auckland)
3: Sione Ahio (Auckland)
4: Fabian Holland (Otago)
5: Zach Gallagher (Canterbury)
6: TK Howden (Manawatu)
7: Anton Segner ( Ta$man)
8: Vaiolini Ekuasi (Auckland)
9: Cortez Lee Ratima (Waikato)
10: Aidan Morgan (Wellington
11: Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens (Taranaki)
12: Corey Evans (Auckland)
13: Gideon Wrampling (Waikato)
14: Chay Fihaki (Canterbury)
15: Ruben Love (Wellington)

16: George Bell (Canterbury)
17: Jack Sexton (Canterbury)
18: Luca Inch ( Ta$man)
19: Dom Gardiner (Canterbury)
20: Sean Withy (Otago)
21: Nathan Hastie (Otago)
22: Peter Lakai (Wellington)
23: Te Paea Cook Savage (Waikato)
25: Nathaniel Peters (Taranaki)
27: Riley Higgins (Wellington)
28: Meihana Grindlay (Auckland)
29: Manu Paea (Auckland)
30: Harry Godfrey (Hawkes Bay)

Crazy Horse

Is Jack Sexton Mat Sexton's kid?

Bovidae

@crazy-horse Yes. Dominic is the son of Angus.

Crazy Horse

@bovidae thanks mate. Didn't notice the Gardiner name so thanks for that too 😀

Stargazer

Stargazer

Nice for the U20s players to get a run, but pretty meaningless playing against teams like that Harlequins team. Maybe a Ta$man Mako XV, depending who are playing, might offer some opposition, but today's game will be very lopsided. Couldn't they form a NZ Barbarians U20 team from all the U20 players that didn't make the NZ U20 squad? Are some of them in that Harlequins team?

Bovidae

I will try to go to this game. I was expecting a more senior Harlequins team, not full of U20 players and in some cases, schoolboys.

mikey07

@bovidae Naholo and Milner Skudder aren’t school boys last I checked.

Bovidae

@mikey07 Of course not, but the majority are young. Wrampling is the St Paul's Collegiate no.8.

Stargazer

NZR seems to have learned nothing from 2020, when about every team of every level livestreamed games when no crowds could attend. This is the 2nd NZ U20s game, and it looks like it's not going to be livestreamed again. Bunch of amateurs!

Bovidae

This match was much different to the U20s first game. The final score was 52-33 (HT: 40-26).

Both teams made a lot of changes at HT with only Holland, Morgan, Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens and Fihaki coming back to start the 2nd half. That meant the 2nd half was disjointed.

Wrampling was the captain to start the game. The U20s started fast and led 21-0 in quick time before the Harlequins got into the game and scored some good tries of their own. Their first was by Naholo from a cross-kick. He had been caught from behind just a few minutes earlier with the goal line in sight. Went off injured not long after that.

The 2nd half U20 scrum got monstered at times so that is a big work-on. The Harlequins reserve props were big.

I liked the look of the Harlequins no.7 Finua but the biggest oh ah from the crowd was when Malachi Wrampling used Grindlay as a doormat.

bobily2

@bovidae said in 2021 New Zealand U20s:

Wrampling was the captain to start the game. The U20s started fast and led 21-0 in quick time before the Harlequins got into the game and scored some good tries of their own. Their first was by Naholo from a cross-kick. He had been caught from behind just a few minutes earlier with the goal line in sight. Went off injured not long after that.

Sounds very typical of him. Hopefully it isn't too bad.