Hawke's Bay rugby 2018
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McLean Park will host the Hurricanes v Sharks clash on Friday 6 April.
HB Today also says Ben May, Geoff Cridge, Ihaia West, Gareth Evans and Jonah Lowe are all signed to the Hurricanes. No mention of Hugh Renton.
I think all the 2018 SR squads are fully and officially named next Wednesday 1st November.
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Great to have the Canes playing in Napier again. Was afraid they'd go to Palmy (only) because we had a game in 2017.
This is the article on the Hurricanes website:
HURRICANES TO PLAY SHARKS IN NAPIER IN 2018 26.10.2017 Napier will host a Hurricanes home match in 2018 when the Sharks make an historic Investec Super Rugby visit to McLean Park. The round eight match, on April 6, will mark the first time South Africa's Sharks have played in the Hawke's Bay and is the latest in a growing tradition of Hurricanes matches in Napier. More than 13,000 fans spurred the Hurricanes to a 56-21 win over the Brumbies in April this year and Hawke's Bay Rugby Union chief executive Mike Bishop was confident of another big turnout for the Sharks. "The Hurricanes have a strong history of success at McLean Park with successive wins over the Bulls, Highlanders and Brumbies since 2014 and will be looking to build on that in front of their Hawke's Bay fans in 2018. "The game will be of special significance for the Magpies quartet of Ihaia West, Gareth Evans, Ben May and Jonah Lowe who will want to add to the rich history of Hawke's Bay players making a big contribution to the Hurricanes brand." Hawke's Bay and Hurricanes Members will gain priority access to tickets before they go on public sale. Tickets will go on sale next February through www.ticketdirect.co.nz The Sharks shape as a stern test after the four-time Super Rugby finalists, reached the quarterfinals in 2017 before narrowly losing 23-21 to 2017 finalists the Lions. The match will represent the eleventh time the Hurricanes have played a home match in Napier since they beat Transvaal 32-16 in 1996. Hurricanes chief executive Avan Lee said taking matches to the regions remained a firm priority for the organisation. "We see all of our regional partners as playing an important role in the club. Over the past two years Hawke's Bay has run a fantastic match day experience at McLean Park and I know our players and coaches are already looking forward to returning in 2018. "The Hurricanes will continue to take big matches to the regions and we are already in discussions with Manawatu about hosting a match in Palmerston North in 2019." Napier Mayor Bill Dalton said the Hurricanes had become a regular and popular feature of the city's annual events calendar."Working to secure this game for Napier in partnership with the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union and Hurricanes management has paid off, in the best way possible. "We're looking forward to hosting local, national and international sports fans at McLean Park. While they are here I'm sure they will take the opportunity to enjoy Napier and explore our wonderful region." AT A GLANCE Hurricanes v Sharks Venue: McLean Park, Napier Date: April 6, 2018 Kick-off time: 7.35pm Hurricanes matches at McLean Park in Napier Played: 10. Won: 7. Lost: 3 1996 v Transvaal, WON 32-16 1997 v Waratahs, WON 19-3 1998 v Crusaders, LOST 17-39 1999 v Waratahs, WON 13-7 2001 v Highlanders, WON 35-33 2003 v Bulls, LOST 34-46 2011 v Bulls, LOST 14-26 2014 v Bulls, WON 25-20 2015 v Highlanders, WON 56-20 2017 v Brumbies, WON 56-21 2018 v Sharks, April 6.This article also doesn't mention Renton either, so I guess he indeed has no contract. Hopefully, he gets a contract somewhere else, now that he's finally healthy.
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My current list of Magpies contracted to SR teams:
Hurricanes - Cridge (injured), Evans, Lowe, May, West
Chiefs - Allardice, Falcon, Retallick, Weber
Crusaders - Dagg
Highlanders - Buckman, Dixon, Edmonds (if fit; his contract expires in 2018)
Blues -
Waratahs - PalmerThe biggest question is the status of McNicol. Also unknown is whether the Blues have signed any of "our" Vaega brothers or Dunn.
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It would be odd if the uninjured Renton doesn't get a Canes spot - he's actually started living up to the hype at times. But I assume with Evans, Cridge, May, Lowe and Ihaia that the HB quota for Canes is well and truly oversubscribed.
You'd have to assume someone will pick up McNicol, he looked bloody handy in Super rugby this year.
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The Canes article doesn't mention Cridge either. I assume he won't be in the squad to be named on 1 November, due to his long-term injury. I fear 2018 will be his last season as a Cane, unless he has a brilliant and uninjured Mitre 10 Cup in 2018.
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Confirmed:
Chiefs (5): Retallick, Allardice, Weber, Falcon, McNicol
Canes (4): May, Evans, West, Lowe
Highlanders (2): Dixon, Buckman
Crusaders (1): Dagg
Blues (0): -All Blacks 7s Development squad: TJ Vaega
NZ U20 Development group:
Tim Farrell, Jacob Devery, Devan Flanders, Danny Toala, [Will Tremain]Not yet confirmed:
Warratahs: PalmerUnlucky:
Cridge (injured)
Renton (dropped by the Canes)
Edmonds (there were rumours he's is fit to play again, but probably not at SR Level?)Not really surprised:
Cardiff VeagaWhat about:
Mason Emerson - should be in the AB7s frame, but is he?Expected to / Should be in:
Hurricanes Development:
We'll probably have to wait until the team's first game to see who will make that squad, but I'd be upset if these players didn't make it: Mikaele-Tu'u, Rakete-Stones, Hugh Renton, non-playing Hurricanes squad members and maybe a few U20s players.Hurricanes U20:
Tim Farrell, Jacob Devery, Devan Flanders, Danny Toala, Will Tremain (when fit), Lincoln McClutchie, Folau Fakatava and a few others (for example, Kianu Kereru-Symes, Josiah Metcalfe, Dennon Robinson, Josh Bokser, Humphrey Sheild, Liam Udy-Johns) if they've not left for other franchises or are still eligible for the U18s -
Mitre 10 crossover matches for 2018:
Hawke's Bay to play:
Home
Counties Manukau
North HarbourAway
Canterbury
Tasman -
@number-10 said in Hawke's Bay rugby 2018:
Mitre 10 crossover matches for 2018:
Hawke's Bay to play:
Home
Counties Manukau
North HarbourAway
Canterbury
TasmanInteresting to see who picked who.
It was Counties that picked us; Auckland had already picked Southland and surprisingly, Wellington - who was the first to make a choice - didn't go for the weakest team but for neighbour Manawatu.
HBRU picked Harbour, after Southland had picked Counties (which the HBRU couldn't pick anyway). It's interesting how apparently Counties and Harbour are seen as weaker sides than lower ranked Auckland and Wellington (the latter I can understand).
Canterbury picked us, damn it! Why couldn't they pick Southland for a massacre?
HBRU picked Tasman out of Tasman and Wellington. I'd probably have done that, too, based on the 2017 season.
These cross-over selections also mean that the Magpies won't play Wellington, Taranaki and Auckland in 2018.
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I'm quite okay with playing Canterbury.
We should be playing them every year if we can.
Can't beat them if we don't play them.
Preferring to avoid playing Canterbury just makes us look scared of them - fuck that.
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@number-10 Don't agree, I'm sick of the Cantabs putting 50+ on us like the last few years. I'll be happy to take them on once I'm confident that we actually have a team (including coaches) that can be remotely competitive. The last two years have been so dreadful that I don't have that confidence. Hopefully, a new coach, a few better, new signings and no injury list from here to Tokyo will change that.
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@stargazer What new coach? I am guessing that Mr. Philpott must be a Life Member of the HBRFU given his seemingly unimpeachable hold on the position despite the overwhelming pleas for a change for the last three or four years.
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As well as a new coach for 2018, there will also be a new CEO with Mike Bishop standing down. I think he is the longest serving current CEO of a Mitre 10 Cup union, been there since 2005.
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The most interesting bits from the article below:
The redevelopment of the playing arena at major Hawke's Bay sports stadium McLean Park won't be done before early winter .. Napier City Council chief executive Wayne Jack confirmed yesterday the work, which was initially scheduled to start immediately after the end of the Mitre 10 interprovincial rugby competition last month, will now not start until after the Super Rugby match between the Hurricanes and South African side the Sharks on April 6. .. It could impact on early games in Hawke's Bay's 2018 rugby campaign, but it could be met by avoiding having home games for the Magpies in the opening rounds. Hawke's Bay Rugby Union spokesman Jay Campbell said the New Zealand Rugby Union drawmakers had asked for the Magpies' first two matches to be away games.http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=11944836
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I'm confused. The best time for growth and settling in of new plantings you would think would be over the warmer months hence no real reason that I cannot see for it to be delayed. It is not as if Napier does not have an alternative venue for Plunket Shield Cricket anyway, just over the road at Nelson Park (which already has been approved as suitable to conduct first class cricket matches) that the Central Districts Cricket Association could use if needs be.
How hard can it possibly be to "source a supply of sand"? I am also surprised the tender documents for the job did not stipulate the timeframe the work should be carried out hence only those able to meet that should have been considered, assuming they met all other criteria like proven experience and expertise etc.
The drop in pitches availability should not come into it given McLean Park is not really essential in terms of hosting four day first class cricket in the Bay. It's all a mystery to me as to why things have happened like they have. -
@higgins How long has this been going on now? The drainage problem has been an issue for years, hasn't it? I can understand delays due to the grass not growing well due to the weather in Auckland, but moving sand? It makes you wonder whether this redevelopment has been managed properly.
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I hope this new pitch does not behave like we have seen at the ground the Rebels play at which is appalling, and Suncorp in Brisbane which is not much better come scum time.
As a matter of interest here is an interesting piece about those new fangled grounds that are a mixture of artificial and natural grass, think the Dunedin ground is one example in NZ.
What intrigues me is what happens come time to mow the natural grass as the artificial stuff won't regrow! -
@higgins said in Hawke's Bay rugby 2018:
What intrigues me is what happens come time to mow the natural grass as the artificial stuff won't regrow!
I guess that will be addressed by picking the right height of the blades.
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That's where some difficulty might come in as McLean Park is a dual purpose ground with the grass height needed for cricket markedly different to that ideally suited for rugby. It might look a bit strange with the two differing heights during rugby unless the natural grass is a far greater percentage of the two.
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Marino Mikaele Tu'u has been called into the Highlanders.
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From today's HBRU newsletter:
New Head Coach has busy off season ahead
*The 2017 rugby season on all levels may have just come to an end but although the Hawke’s Bay Magpies won’t take the field until late July next year, that doesn’t mean it’s quiet at rugby HQ.
There’s a new coach at the helm in Mark Ozich and he’s got a pretty long do to list pre-and post-Christmas.
It reads a bit like this…
Finish all player reviews
Re-sign existing players
Appoint a new forward coach
Identify potential player recruitment options
When Mark was appointed as assistant coach earlier this year, following a successful coaching stint with Hastings Boys High School First Fifteen, he didn’t expect to be in the hot seat as a replacement to Craig Philpott by November.“It has happened quicker than I thought. It’s not ideal (to go to head coach so quickly) but it’s a great opportunity and I’m excited by what lies ahead.
“I’m focussed on player retention at the moment, signing the likes of Brad Weber, Gareth Evans, Sam McNicol and Ash Dixon. Following that we can look at what we’ve got and what our shortcomings are in player talent pool at club rugby.
“I’m really interested in what potential talent is out there at club level that may have been overlooked, hidden or new to the province.
“We’ve also provided our reviews to the players and it’s now time to sit down with them and talk about the reviews and the areas they need to work on.
As a team Mark has identified the contact/collision area as something that needs to improve in 2018.
“We’ve got to really improve in the collision area whether that’s tackling or the ball carry to get us over the gain line. It’s a not negotiable area to improve on and that will be a focus in early 2018.”
Mark says lock is a position that needs to be bolstered. The Magpies have a couple of Super Rugby players in the locking department and a couple of other candidates but he says it’s not an area that they can afford to not up skill nor bulk up moving forward as these guys are crucial in winning us ball and dominating collisions.
Mark says the appointment of a forward coach is also a priority and the recruitment process will look both within and outside of the region.
“We’re going to open it up to all-comers. We will shortlist and then put potential candidates in front of a panel.
The summer Sevens season is now getting into full swing and Mark is providing some supporting to new head coach Ellery Wilson. The side has some young talent and Mark’s keen to see how they go in the abridged version of the game and how they could possibly step up to 15s.
“It’s an exciting new era at Hawke’s Bay rugby, we’ve got some new coaches and early next year we will also have a new chief executive.*
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Jarvy Aoake wrote this under a photo he posted on instagram:
jarvyaoake: Ending 2017 with my 2 favs that are always there for me. Bring on 2k18 with a New year, new home, new club, new job and new challenges #2k18 #fitfam #familygoals #rugbylife #hbsummer17
Kendra Cocksedge, who works as a rugby development officer for NZR (based in Chch) replied:
kenjee09: @jarvyaoake welcome aboard I bet ur excited about it!! We have heaps of fun!
Another post also referred to women's rugby, so it looks like Aoake has found a job at NZR, possibly as a (women's) rugby development officer? He was already a rugby development officer for HBRU. It will be interesting where he will be based and which club he's referring to. Looks like we may need another back-up prop, unless Edmonds is able to play again (which I really hope).
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Good news and bad news.
Good news:
Latest update is Trent Boswell-Wakefield should be back in time for start of club season.Bad news:
Tim Farrell has had to have shoulder surgery and will be out for about six months.He is eligible for the Under 20's again this year but the surgery/rehab would seem to rule him out. Hopefully will be fit for Mitre 10 Cup.
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@number-10 said in Hawke's Bay rugby 2018:
Good news and bad news.
Good news:
> Latest update is Trent Boswell-Wakefield should be back in time for start of club season.Bad news:
Tim Farrell has had to have shoulder surgery and will be out for about six months.He is eligible for the Under 20's again this year but the surgery/rehab would seem to rule him out. Hopefully will be fit for Mitre 10 Cup.
So basically he comes back as soon as Philpott leaves - unsurprising.
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@number-10 said in Hawke's Bay rugby 2018:
Good news and bad news.
Good news:
Latest update is Trent Boswell-Wakefield should be back in time for start of club season.Bad news:
Tim Farrell has had to have shoulder surgery and will be out for about six months.He is eligible for the Under 20's again this year but the surgery/rehab would seem to rule him out. Hopefully will be fit for Mitre 10 Cup.
We'll have to wait and see whether TBW is still good enough to make the Magpies, but he has a whole club rugby season to get back into it. I guess a lot will also depend on who the next assistant coach will be. I hope they can find a good one.
The news about Farrell is more significant and I feel really sorry for the guy. Missed most of the 2017 JWC, and now possibly the 2018 JWC. I hope he heals faster than expected and can still make the squad, but that seems unlikely. Will keep my fingers crossed for him, and indeed hope he'll have a great Mitre 10 Cup season. That lad has talent.
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Jorian Tangaere has had to stop playing rugby due to losing sight in one of his eyes. The last few months he's been training hard for the waka ama nationals and with success, winning a gold medal in the adaptive men's W1 500m final and silver in the adaptive men's W1 250m final last weekend. That has earned him a ticket to the world championships in Tahiti in July. He has also qualified with Wairarapa club's premier men's six-man crew. This article is worth reading.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503460&objectid=11979884
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After nearly ten years as head of the HBRU Academy/Player Development programme Joe Payton made a sudden departure from the role last week.
Jumped or pushed?
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Just thought you guys might like to see this from a Hurricanes training last Wednesday -
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Thanks, @chainsaw. Great to see West finally in the right jersey. Now we can only hope that he can stay ahead of JG-B in the pecking order and will be BB's back-up - and that he, Gareth Evans and Jonah Lowe will get sufficient game time this season.
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Shame he is only going to be in the colours for 2018 only ...
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@number-10 Is that certain? I haven't seen an official announcement that he's going overseas. They could re-sign him?
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@stargazer said in Hawke's Bay rugby 2018:
Thanks, @chainsaw. Great to see West finally in the right jersey. Now we can only hope that he can stay ahead of JG-B in the pecking order and will be BB's back-up - and that he, Gareth Evans and Jonah Lowe will get sufficient game time this season.
Yeah that's interesting, JGB had a pretty good npc, but I've always thought West had some x-factor, and of course has also had some good npc seasons.
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Fears Hawke's Bay Magpies No 8 Gareth Evans may be playing his Mitre 10 Cup rugby for another province this year have been alleviated. New Magpies head coach Mark Ozich confirmed last night new Hurricane Evans will be turning out for the Bay again this season."Jonah will be back with us again as will Ben. Ihaia has some offshore options to ponder but if he stays in New Zealand after the Super season he will be back with us," Ozich said. Ozich pointed out Magpies loosie Marino Mikaele-Tu'u, who was a world champion Baby Black last year, has secured a Highlanders contract. He said the Magpies were close to securing the services of 2016-17 captain and long-serving Highlanders hooker Ash Dixon. Former All Black halfback Brad Weber and fellow Chiefs, lock Michael Allardice and outside back Sam McNicol, will be back with the Magpies this season.http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503460&objectid=11985671
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That actually looks like a decent nucleus of a team ....
Good that MMT has got a Highlanders contract now, was that confirmed when squads were named or is it a recent development (memory like a goldfish). Anyway, another Magpie who needs to go to a franchise not the Canes to get recognition.
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@nepia He was not initially named in the squad, but was called up to join them for preseason as injury cover (for James Lentjes?). They said at the time they wanted to take a good look at him, because other loosies in the squad could cover 6 and 7, but they wanted someone who could also cover 8. I guess they liked what they saw!
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@stargazer said in Hawke's Bay rugby 2018:
@number-10 Is that certain? I haven't seen an official announcement that he's going overseas. They could re-sign him?
Did you also notice the absence of any reference to Ruchard Buckman in the interview with Mark Ozich?
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We have a new assistant (forwards) coach: Josh Syms
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503460&objectid=11989213
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New CEO: Jay Campbell. Internal promotion.
The union's commercial manager since 2008, Campbell, 46, replaces Mike Bishop, who had the role for 12 years, and will switch offices on February 26. Bishop leaves on February 23.
"We're going to have a very inexperienced but exciting young side. We've got two inexperienced, but highly motivated coaches in Mark [Ozich] and Josh [Syms] who are both hungry for success.While the Magpies haven't got a challenge against holders Taranaki in the draft Mitre 10 Cup draw, which isn't expect to be finalised until the end of next month, Campbell is hopeful it won't be too long before the log o wood returns to the Bay. Following the resignation of four board members last year Campbell said he has enjoyed working with a new enthusiastic group of board members. Among his immediate priorities will be the appointment of a new commercial manager, a new academy manager following the resignation of Joe Payton, a new finance manager following the departure of Jo Bayliss and two new rugby development officers as Magpies centenarian Chris Eaton is playing overseas and Magpies prop Jarvy Aoake has transferred to Waikato to work for New Zealand Rugby.Union chairman Brendan Mahony said his board conducted an extensive and robust search and interview process before deciding Campbell was the best candidate to lead the province forward.http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503460&objectid=11991492
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According to this article in the HBT, Trinity Spooner-Neera has returned to the Bay. I assume he will play his club rugby for Havelock North.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503460&objectid=11991209
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