NPC - news, injuries etc
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One of Manawatū’s brightest young talents has recommitted to the province for two more seasons.
Blindside flanker TeKamaka Howden has re-signed for the team
Howden is attracting serious Super Rugby attention having been one of the side’s standout performers this year. -
Three forwards added to the SIT Zero Fees Southland Stags
Head Coach Dale MacLeod has confirmed three Southland forwards will join the SIT Zero Fees Southland Stags for the remainder of the season.
Shaun Stodart and Liam Udy-Johns of Marist and Star’s Jordan Stewart will join the side as of today.
The trio bring a mixture of experience to the squad, with Shaun Stodart bringing up several seasons with the Stags already and Jordan Stewart a player with 1st class experience and a leader within the Star Rugby Club.
Liam Udy-Johns joined Marist this season with a hope of making the Southland setup. -
The Southland-Northland National Provincial Championship game scheduled for Sunday in Invercargill will now be played a day earlier on Saturday.
Southland Stags coach Dale MacLeod said they were advised by New Zealand Rugby on Saturday of the change to the draw.
MacLeod said the shift would give Northland an extra day to get themselves sorted for a midweek game against Bay of Plenty the following week.
That Northland-Bay of Plenty was expected to play on Sunday (Oct 24), but was postponed given it was the same day as Bay of Plenty player Sean Wanui’s tangi. -
@stargazer have also heard that BOP have offered for Northland to host that game too (Covid permitting...) and are working through deets with NZR, similarly Northland wanted to host the match with HB, but they wanted to host it.
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Not sure we’re else to post this but good news for Manawatu for next year
Turbos first five-eighth Brett Cameron has locked in his future with the Manawatū Turbos.
The 25-year-old Whanganui-raised No 10 has been a standout in the green and white this season.
Cameron, who missed Saturday’s match with a minor injury,has signed for the Kamaishi Seawaves in Japan at the conclusion of this season. But he will return in time for the 2022 Bunnings NPC season.
Cameron joined Manawatū earlier this season after opting to leave Canterbury.
The one-test All Black had been starved of gametime at both the Crusaders and Canterbury.
But his arrival in Palmerston North changed that.
Cameron as had the No 10 jersey on lock down this year in Manawatū and arguably been the form first five-eighth in the competition.
He has played six games for the province, scoring 97 points including two tries and assisting four others.
Cameron is the second major re-signing in as many weeks for Manawatū after the union secured TK Howden for two more years next year.
Cameron and Howden joins a group of 18 players already under contract for 2022 – Harrison Allan, Joseph Gavigan, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Brayden Iose, Tyler Labscher, Siua Maile, Veikoso Poloniati, Aaron Smith, Ben Strang, Falesau Tauailoto, Ofa Tauatevalu, Micaiah Torrance-Read, Taniela Filimone, Ropate Rinakama, Ed Fidow, Tima Fainga’anuku, TK Howden, Brett Cameron.
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Manawatū Rugby media release: https://www.turbosrugby.co.nz/news/cameron-re-signs-for-manawatu
Edit: this either means that Cameron only has a one-year contract with his Japanese club, or that he has negotiated being able to play NPC before signing his contract with them.
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@stargazer said in NPC - news, injuries etc:
Manawatū Rugby media release: https://www.turbosrugby.co.nz/news/cameron-re-signs-for-manawatu
Edit: this either means that Cameron only has a one-year contract with his Japanese club, or that he has negotiated being able to play NPC before signing his contract with them.
Garden-Bachop was only signed on for one more year so maybe the Hurricanes have woken up and negotiated a deal to get Cameron in 2023. Something tells me I’m totally wrong though.
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He looks a different player at Manawatu, but with Aaron Smith at 9 and it being NPC level, the jury might still be out on whether he could bring that to Super rugby at the Canes (where he'll get significantly worse service).
I think he'd be a good pick-up though as he's probably better than Garden-Bachop.
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A pity he couldn't get an exemption now to play tomorrow and in the SF.
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So, barring a set of freaky results - there's basically two quarterfinals this weekend:
Ta$man vs Wellington
Canterbury vs BoPI see that - despite having the second-best win-loss ratio in the division we are somehow currently at the bottom of the table due to picking up fuck all bonus points.
That "somehow" is somewhat related to us being given the hardest row to hoe (we're also starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel for players).
We will end up playing 8 games - 6 vs Div 1 opposition and 2 vs Div 2 opposition.
By comparison
Waikato will end up playing 9 games - 5 vs Div 1 opposition and 4 vs Div 2 opposition.
Ah well - if we can't beat Wellington, we might as well hit the beaches!
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@chris-b said in NPC - news, injuries etc:
So, barring a set of freaky results - there's basically two quarterfinals this weekend:
Ta$man vs Wellington
Canterbury vs BoPI see that - despite having the second-best win-loss ratio in the division we are somehow currently at the bottom of the table due to picking up fuck all bonus points.
That "somehow" is somewhat related to us being given the hardest row to hoe (we're also starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel for players).
We will end up playing 8 games - 6 vs Div 1 opposition and 2 vs Div 2 opposition.
By comparison
Waikato will end up playing 9 games - 5 vs Div 1 opposition and 4 vs Div 2 opposition.
Ah well - if we can't beat Wellington, we might as well hit the beaches!
Wellington could be without Goosen and Savea this week. Goosen failed an HIA and Savea pulled up lame (both against Otago) so they could be drawing on even thinner resources in the backs considering they haven't had CGB and Proctor all season and they lost Aso to Japan.
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@chris-b said in NPC - news, injuries etc:
So, barring a set of freaky results - there's basically two quarterfinals this weekend:
Ta$man vs Wellington
Canterbury vs BoPI see that - despite having the second-best win-loss ratio in the division we are somehow currently at the bottom of the table due to picking up fuck all bonus points.
That "somehow" is somewhat related to us being given the hardest row to hoe (we're also starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel for players).
We will end up playing 8 games - 6 vs Div 1 opposition and 2 vs Div 2 opposition.
By comparison
Waikato will end up playing 9 games - 5 vs Div 1 opposition and 4 vs Div 2 opposition.
Ah well - if we can't beat Wellington, we might as well hit the beaches!
Unlike Waikato you have had your full playing resource to play from and the luxury of playing at home.
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@stargazer My team lost 41 players after round two!
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@daffy-jaffy Your team didn't lose 41 players. It was your team that got lost.
As well as two other teams.
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@stargazer Gonna miss out on that away trip to stay with my Napier relies and watch the Magpies v Aucks final.
