2023 Super Rugby U20s

[mikey07]

@Bovidae How good would that be that runs parallel to the main comp.

[Bovidae]

It looks like the U20 competition will be a shorter competition, like last year (but earlier than in 2022).

The Super Rugby Pacific U20 competition runs from 18 March – 25 March 2023.

[Stargazer]

@Bovidae So that means that teams will again play only 3 games (and no play-offs). Teams will not play all other teams, meaning that a lot will depend on luck of the draw. Not good IMO.

[Bovidae]

@Stargazer

Yes, it appears to be a missed opportunity to expand/lengthen the tournament. And as I said previously, might mean the end of the Barbarians team participating.

[Stargazer]

So, two franchises have published their SR U20 wider training group now:

[Stargazer]

Crusaders Name U20s Wider Squad

Crusaders Academy Director Aaron Webb has named the wider training squad for the Crusaders U20 side for 2023.

[Bovidae]

A couple of familiar names to me in the Crusaders squad.

George Reeves was the Hamilton BHS no.8 in 2021. From farming stock so likely at Lincoln.
Brodie Robinson was the starting left wing last year. He's tall and fast, and was in the Barbarians U18s. I thought he would stay in the Waikato but obviously not.

Hopefully the other wider squads are released too.

[Stargazer]

@Bovidae There are quite a few players who attended schools in the Chiefs region, and a few from the Blues and Hurricanes region. I'm really disappointed Hawke's Bay has lost Gus Brown to - I assume - Canterbury.

[Bovidae]

@Stargazer I had overlooked that Moses McGoon is listed too. A prop.

Dawson Smith was there last year (went to St Peter's Cambridge). Paenga-Morgan went to St Paul's and GBHS.

As to Brown, it will depend on whether he signed a contract with HB before the Crusaders got him. Kemara, signed for Waikato while still at school, for example.

[Stargazer]

@Bovidae Harry Boyle also attended St Peter's; Jae Broomfield and Anaru Paenga-Morgan went to St Paul's (APM was already in the Crusaders U20, last year), Penisimani Fihaki comes from Rotorua BHS.

[Stargazer]

U20 WIDER SQUAD — Blues Rugby

Congratulations to the young men named in the Blues U20s Wider Squad for 2023. Northland: JT Pont-Bellamy , Cody Aull , Kobe Walters , Tamatea Winiana , Kobie Scutt , Tama Anderson , Kiwi Duncan, Nathan Salmon, Rory Woods  North

[Bovidae]

On paper, the Blues should have a very strong team with heaps of NZ U19 and NZ Schools/Barbarians players.

[Bovidae]

The first indication of the Chiefs U20 team.

Chiefs U20
1 Manahi Goulton
2 Taine Kolosi (VC)
3 Gabe Robinson
4 Fiti Sa (C)
5 Zinzan Hansen
6 Andrew Smith
7 Jonty Short
8 Senita Lauaki
9. Marley Murphy
10 Josh Penney (VC)
11 Esau Filimoehala
12 Aki Tuivailala
13 Cody Vai
14 Waisake Salabiau
15 Brayden Drew

Reserves
16. Kaleb Saxon
17. Nicolas Muli
18. William Martin
19. Perry Lawerence
20. Keran Van Staden
21. Tommy Hamilton
22. Xavier Saifoloi
23. Peter Te Kahu
24. Taeao Pomale-Time
25. Grady Forbes
26. Tai Cribb
27. Cohen Brady Leathem
28. Kanavale Helu
29. Jack Harding
30. Te Hamana Te Aute
31. Fatiauma Moeahu-Leota
32. Josh Radcliff

https://www.chiefs.co.nz/news-item/chiefs-u20-squad-to-play-development-xv

Edit: There are some players missing that I would expect to be in the final squad like:

Jole Naufahu
Cody Nordstrom (in the Dev team)
Toby Taylor
Malachi Wrampling-Alec

[Stargazer]

@Bovidae So, not Max Radcliffe in the Chiefs U20s, either. That leaves the Highlanders U20s as the only remaining U20 team of which we don't have a clue who's in it. Max isn't in the HB Academy team, nor in the Hurricanes U20s. As one of the players standing out in 1st XV rugby, last year, and member of the Māori U18 team, I'd expect to see him named in one of the squads. Can't imagine him no longer playing after school or not being picked.

[Bovidae]

@Stargazer Without knowing who is unavailable through injury it's hard to know where player X is if they aren't named in a squad and no injured list is also released.

I've decided to go and watch the Chiefs game as the weather has improved.

[Stargazer]

@Bovidae Yeah, and with the situation in Hawke's Bay, Max could be shoveling mud etc as well.

It's a pity the Chiefs and Highlanders haven't published a list of their U20 WTGs.

[Number 10]

Manahi Goulton - Hawke's Bay Under 16, 2019, from Hastings BHS

Max Radcliffe is at Otago University.

[Stargazer]

@Number-10 Thanks for that info! That confirms what I suspected (move to Dunedin). Hopefully, if Max proves to be good enough for NPC (or higher), he'll follow the path of Weber, G Evans and C McLeod and returns to Hawke's Bay after his studies.

[Number 10]

@Stargazer

As you have previously recorded Gus Brown is at Canterbury - was always destined for Canterbury Univ which is why HB could not keep him.

[Bovidae]

@Number-10 said in 2023 Super Rugby U20s:

Manahi Goulton - Hawke's Bay Under 16, 2019, from Hastings BHS

He was in the Waikato U19s last year.