Super Rugby Aupiki 2023
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Grass embankments and maybe temp stands. They might well be thinking (although I’m only speculating here) of turning Nga Puna Wai into some sort of permanent home base for training and games??? The changing rooms might well be quite flash and modern too.
I hope they get the festival tents out and the Childen’s rides and turn it into a day out experience.
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Still no confirmation of the WTG but some other changes to the squad.
https://www.chiefs.co.nz/news-item/league-and-sevens-stars-sign-with-waitomo-chiefs-manawa
They join the squad as replacement players for Renee Wickliffe (retiring), Pia Tapsell (ACL injury), Chelsea Semple (maternity leave) and Merania Paraone (playing overseas).
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@Bovidae A quick google search tells me that Merania Paraone plays for UAS Universitario de Sevilla CR - Cocodrilas Rugby (nick name: Corteva Cocos) in Spain. In that same team are Manawatū's Ngano Tavake, former Counties Manukau player Lavinia Tauhalaliku and Northlands' Justice Karena. The Corteva Cocos play in the Liga Iberdrola de Rugby, the top women's rugby competition in Spain, and are the reigning champions.
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Harono Te Iringa
A lock. So replacement for Tapsell (who was listed as a lock/loosie
Tenika Willison
Willison's strength is setting up others, so replacing Semple (Midfield)
Abigail Roache
Listed in league as a 'playmaker'. Roache is likely a bit of a utility, replacing either Wickliffe (outside back) or Paraone (Wing)
Apii Nicholls-Pualau
A league Fullback so replacing either Wickliffe (outside back) or Paraone (Wing)
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@Bovidae said in Super Rugby Aupiki 2023:
@Stargazer Spain? Interesting. It will be just like Kihikihi.
@Crucial Willison is more a 1st 5/fullback. She was the fullback when Waikato won the FPC. There looks to be plenty of utility options in the backs.
I just thought that given Semple being unavailable and the specific mention of Willison's distribution skills, she may be being considered for the midfield.
Yep, most of the backs have had experience in different roles and the WTG contains more options too should injuries happen. -
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@Yeetyaah said in Super Rugby Aupiki 2023:
Harono is a great player I was surprised she wasn't in the initial squad
Yes, I was surprised too, and had thought that she had made herself unavailable for selection. Getting a current BF lock (Bremner), a former BF lock (Smith), along with Wills, meant they didn't need many other specialist locks.
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@Crucial said in Super Rugby Aupiki 2023:
Harono Te Iringa
A lock. So replacement for Tapsell (who was listed as a lock/loosie
Tenika Willison
Willison's strength is setting up others, so replacing Semple (Midfield)
Abigail Roache
Listed in league as a 'playmaker'. Roache is likely a bit of a utility, replacing either Wickliffe (outside back) or Paraone (Wing)
Apii Nicholls-Pualau
A league Fullback so replacing either Wickliffe (outside back) or Paraone (Wing)
Roache has been added to the Team page as a first-five
Te Iringa listed as a lock
Nicholls as a centre
Willison as a wingNicholls is the surprise there. A league fullback/union centre?
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World Cup star Ruby Tui's immediate playing future in doubt
Black Ferns wing won't play in Super Rugby Aupiki this season as she considers her next career move.
Tui, 31, will not be available for the start of Super Rugby Aupiki, which starts next month, as she has yet to decide what is next in her career.
She will instead commentate for Sky Sports, a role she has fulfilled in the past.
In November, Tui was listed as a “to be confirmed” when the Chiefs Manawa squad was named, and a New Zealand Rugby spokesperson has confirmed that she will not feature in Super Rugby Aupiki after doing so in last year’s inaugural competition.
And her manager, Dan Sing, told Stuff no “key decisions” had been made on her future and that she was “super excited” about returning to commentary.New Zealand Rugby’s general manager of professional rugby and performance Chris Lendrum said in November of Tui's involvement in Super Rugby: “we’re giving her some time post a pretty hectic year in the Rugby World Cup to determine what she wants to do in the future."
Asked whether that meant a possible return to sevens, he replied: “She’s taking time to think about what the right next step is for her career. That could be sevens, that could be obviously 15s still." -
Chiefs have redone their team page with new photos. Langi Veainu is no longer listed in the outside backs. Not sure of the reasons she has pulled out but I do know who her replacement is (not officially listed yet but seen in socials at training).
Will wait for Chiefs to break news before posting. -
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@Bovidae said in Super Rugby Aupiki 2023:
I would hope Willison isn't going to be used on the wing. If the Chiefs needed a winger they should have asked for Teneti.
Looking at the squad list now (only three midfielders) makes me still wonder if Willison is going to get a run in the centres.
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@Crucial said in Super Rugby Aupiki 2023:
@Bovidae said in Super Rugby Aupiki 2023:
I would hope Willison isn't going to be used on the wing. If the Chiefs needed a winger they should have asked for Teneti.
Looking at the squad list now (only three midfielders) makes me still wonder if Willison is going to get a run in the centres.
Lots of possibilities. IIRC Daals also spent some time in the midfield last year.
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The Hurricanes have announced that 2022 Manawatū Cyclones Head Coach, Fusi Feaunati and Director of Rugby at Te Awamutu Sports, Travis Church will complete the Hurricanes Poua coaching team ahead of the 2023 SKY Super Rugby Aupiki season.
The experienced duo will take on assistant coaching roles, linking up with Head Coach, Victoria Grant, to provide valuable knowledge and guidance to the squad.
Backs Coach, Feaunati, returns to the Poua for his second season. Well known for his work with the Manawatū contingent, guiding the Manawatū Cyclones in the Farah Palmer Cup for the past seven years, he said he was excited for the 2023 Super Rugby Aupiki season.After an extensive recruitment process, former NZU19 prop Travis Church joins the Poua as the teams’ Forwards Coach, focussing on set-piece and the breakdown.
The current Director of Rugby at Te Awamutu Sports and former teammate of Hurricanes Set-Piece Coach Jamie MacIntosh, Church makes his first foray into Super Rugby, having previously spent time as a Black Ferns Hub Resource Coach and age group Rep Coach with Waikato Rugby.
