Auckland Rugby 2021
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Confirms some things posted here.
Sotutu is unlikely to be the last high-profile name leaving Auckland before the 2021 provincial season, with All Blacks prop Ofa Tuungafasi understood to have approached Northland.
Fellow All Blacks Caleb Clarke, Akira Ioane and flanker Blake Gibson were also understood to be among others weighing their futures with Auckland. Ioane is thought to have told Blues teammates he could represent Northland, as his grandfather on his mother's side lives in Kaikohe.
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I can see Gibson going to Counties too. Tai Lavea had him at St Kents.
Auckland hanging onto Alama is going to cause us to suffer in the short and long term.
I'm guessing more will leave next year. There will definitely be guys who wanted to leave this year but they're still under contract.
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@dice said in Auckland Rugby 2021:
I can see Gibson going to Counties too. Tai Lavea had him at St Kents.
Auckland hanging onto Alama is going to cause us to suffer in the short and long term.
I'm guessing more will leave next year. There will definitely be guys who wanted to leave this year but they're still under contract.
Tanielu Teleʻa also signed for Counties
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Huge boost for Auckland Rugby amid 'crisis'
Auckland Rugby saw a healthy rise in club team numbers - but challenges remain.
Auckland Rugby is celebrating a healthy rise in club team numbers, especially at junior level which has enjoyed a 10 per cent growth on 2019 pre-Covid levels. This year there are 69 more junior club teams compared with 2019, with 12 new school teams - a 12 per cent increase on 2019. Auckland senior club levels remain steady. -
@tim said in Auckland Rugby 2021:
He's been groomed for a while now. No idea if he's good or not.
Hopefully Auckland had a good chat to their players before appointing Bates. Plenty of them have been exposed to him with Auckland B, Blues age group teams etc. Can't have another coach driving players away.
I'm assuming (hoping) Ieremia will be gone next year and Bates will take over. It'll be interesting to watch how often Bates or Ieremia talks to the media, who's doing all the talking at half time etc etc
I'm guessing he keeps his role at the Blues too? Halangahu & Afeaki are coaching Harbour and have roles with the Blues. That seems like an improvement from the days when Feeney had to quit his Auckland job to be a 3rd coach at the Blues
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@bovidae said in Auckland Rugby 2021:
Bates was also part of the NH coaching setup in the past wasn't he? U19 coach?
I think so
@bovidae said in Auckland Rugby 2021:
I don't think either he or Ieremia are very articulate or polished in front of the camera.
I agree but don't really care.
My comment about that was keeping an eye on who is in charge of the team. Talking at half time was a reference to who is addressing the players. Ieremia apparently doesn't offer much technically and people like Bowden had to pick up the slack.
I'm interested to see if Ieremia is head coach in name only this year. The player feedback was awful and he shouldv'e been sacked. But I guess that was too expensive
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@tim your spot on , quite a talent as well.
Word doing the rounds is Craig McGrath will take take over as the Auckland head coach ..very well liked by the players -
@steven-harris said in Auckland Rugby 2021:
Word doing the rounds is Craig McGrath will take take over as the Auckland head coach ..very well liked by the players
In 2022? So McGrath will be head coach, Bates has the forwards and Bowden the backs?
But all those guys are employed by Auckland rugby this year.
Maybe McGrath the real coach this year? Is Alama just sitting out his contract and has the title of head coach but no power? Will he wear the seagull costume or the potato costume?
If his role is over they should move on as quickly as possible
