Super Rugby Aupiki 2023
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Not playing a home and away round robin is a missed opportunity. Two female head coaches for next year.
Crystal Kaua named Head Coach of Waitomo Chiefs Manawa
The Chiefs Rugby Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Crystal Kaua as Head Coach of the Waitomo Chiefs Manawa.
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@Bovidae said in Super Rugby Aupiki 2023:
Not playing a home and away round robin is a missed opportunity. Two female head coaches for next year.
Crystal Kaua named Head Coach of Waitomo Chiefs Manawa
The Chiefs Rugby Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Crystal Kaua as Head Coach of the Waitomo Chiefs Manawa.
Sadly it is only a semi pro comp so home and away eats too much into the time and lives of the players when the teams are provincial and players have to either gather away from home or travel.
Chiefs Manawa, I assume, will base in the Tron and have players from CM and BOP as well as wider Waikato.
I'm sure there will be some solutions around training early on but until the comp can sustain decent payments to cover expenses it is going to remain small.
I thought that the tournament concept worked well and wondered if they were going to repeat that. -
@Bovidae said in Super Rugby Aupiki 2023:
Not playing a home and away round robin is a missed opportunity. Two female head coaches for next year.
Crystal Kaua named Head Coach of Waitomo Chiefs Manawa
The Chiefs Rugby Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Crystal Kaua as Head Coach of the Waitomo Chiefs Manawa.
FFS, five games? That's really going to bring our girls up to euro levels
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@Bovidae said in Super Rugby Aupiki 2023:
Someone needs to proof those before publishing. Round two has the venues the wrong way around
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@Machpants said in Super Rugby Aupiki 2023:
FFS, five games? That's really going to bring our girls up to euro levels
Home and away with a final is only 2 more games compared to the format to be used in 2023. Having SFs means all teams have a chance to make the final irrespective of where they finish on the table.
@Crucial Playing weekly gives the teams more preparation and recovery time between games. Surely they will be compensated for being in camp for longer.
Players will assemble for one preseason match in February before coming together four days a week through the competition window.
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@Bovidae it is the time factor as well. The non pro players have jobs to hold down, studies, as well as families/children for some. The small amounts payed for assembling and paying go nowhere near compensating. Some will be able to manage things but some will be under pressure.
I'm not supporting the format more pointing out that this is a compromise halfway there competition that can't be as good as it could be because of a lack of investment.
I think that even the England system relies on players being in club teams at the next level down with the clubs expected to manage/pay. Players are also more likely to relocate as there are more clubs and you can arrange a life as a semi pro for more than just a handful of games.
Our rugby environment suits the mens game much better and this is a compromise. The women love playing at a higher level but can't sustain being there for a long time.
Personally I would be very happy for some Silverlake money to go to making a better comp viable. -
I would have thought there would be some crossover with Super W. But as mentioned, it's only semi-pro and building. My old workmate who played for the Chiefs had to to take so much time off unpaid by work and as she wasn't a Black Fern the pay can't have been huge.
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WALKER FIRED UP FOR SECOND SUPER RUGBY AUPIKI CAMPAIGN — Blues Rugby
nib Blues Head Coach - Willie Walker
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Now that the RWC is over I expect the squads to be named soon.
Here is the media release:
Dhys Faleafaga signed for 2023 | Chiefs Rugby
Dhys Faleafaga has signed with the Waitomo Chiefs Manawa for the 2023 Sky Super Rugby Aupiki competition, with the talented loosehead prop to transfer from the Hurricanes Poua for the upcoming season.
Faleafaga took a break from rugby this year for the birth of twin boys with her partner, New Zealand Sevens player, Tone Ng Shiu.
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@Bovidae Chiefs Manawa already have 3 BF props (Tangen-Wainohu, Taumata, Kalounivale) so that's an interesting choice for her to move.
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@Crucial said in Super Rugby Aupiki 2023:
@Bovidae Chiefs Manawa already have 3 BF props (Tangen-Wainohu, Taumata, Kalounivale) so that's an interesting choice for her to move.
See above. I expect Faleafaga is currently based at Mt Maunganui, so convenience.
Angel Mulu has gone in the other direction to return home.
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Santo Taumata re-signs for 2023 | Chiefs Rugby
The Chiefs Rugby Club is pleased to announce the re-signing of World Cup winning Black Ferns prop, Santo Taumata with the Waitomo Chiefs Manawa for the 2023 Super Rugby Aupiki competition.
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@Bovidae Talk about break through players. Not out of place at the very top level at all.
If the BFs hadn't gone into camp during FPC, the platform that the BOP forwards were showing would have allowed the young inexperienced backs to progress more than they did. Santo didn't seem to believe in herself at the start of FPC but has massively stepped up.
Chiefs Manawa is going to be a stacked team again. Could do with an 'upgrade' in the loosies but every other area is very strong. -
@Crucial said in Super Rugby Aupiki 2023:
Chiefs Manawa is going to be a stacked team again. Could do with an 'upgrade' in the loosies but every other area is very strong.
If the Chiefs are allowed to pick all players from their own region the team will be stronger than this year. Reynolds and Holmes were shipped off to the Matutu to accommodate the BF7s players. I will be disappointed if the likes of Brazier are included again. Time to move on.
Lock will be the weakest position.
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Renee Holmes Re-signs for 2023 | Matatū Rugby
Women's Rugby World Cup Winner Renee Holmes has re-signed with Matatū for 2023
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Recognise the name? Katelyn Vaha’akolo just this morning represented the Kiwi Ferns in their semi-final victory against England at the Rugby League World Cup in the UK, however it’s on the rugby union field where she is taking her talents in 2023. Vaha’akolo is the latest nib Blues women’s player t
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Australia born Otago Farah Palmer Cup player Georgia Cormick has signed with Matatū for the 2023 Super Rugby Aupiki Season
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Chiefs Manawa are turning into the female version of the Crusaders. Signing the best players from around the country, making them even harder to beat.
They've stolen another one:
Chelsea Bremner signs with Waitomo Chiefs Manawa | Chiefs Rugby
The Chiefs Rugby Club today announced the signing of Chelsea Bremner for the 2023 Super Rugby Aupiki season.
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I did say that the Chiefs needed some locks.
I read that her partner is Joe Apikotoa, so maybe she wants to be closer to him.
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@Bovidae Yeah, that's what I was thinking.
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@Stargazer said in Super Rugby Aupiki 2023:
Australia born Otago Farah Palmer Cup player Georgia Cormick has signed with Matatū for the 2023 Super Rugby Aupiki Season
Good player and a big part of the better performances of Otago this year.
A replacement for Elmo I guess. -
Black Fern and Rugby World Cup Champion Amy Du Plessis has committed to Matatū for the next Super Rugby Aupiki season
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I must admit I don't know who she is. Haven't seen enough Volcanix games, I guess.
Tynealle Fitzgerald Re-Signed for 2023 | Chiefs Rugby
The Chiefs Rugby Club today announced the re-signing of Tynealle Fitzgerald for the 2023 Super Rugby Aupiki season.
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Me either. The original squad had 5 props, so maybe she replaces one of the others like Jayjay Taylor, or an extra prop is to added to squads. They had expanded benches this season.
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The full Hurricanes Poua squad will be announced on Monday at 10am.
Maybe all squads to be named on Monday?
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@Bovidae It's really weird. I read a few weeks ago that the Poua will hold trials in January. Are they just naming a core squad and are the trials for the "extras"?
Or maybe the journo had the month wrong, and the trials have already taken place after the FPC?
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@Stargazer said in Super Rugby Aupiki 2023:
@Bovidae It's really weird. I read a few weeks ago that the Poua will hold trials in January. Are they just naming a core squad and are the trials for the "extras"?
Or maybe the journo had the month wrong, and the trials have already taken place after the FPC?
I haven't heard of any trials for main squads. Nearly all are on contracts. There may be some fringe players that shuffle or fill gaps eg is Maia Joseph required at Chiefs Manawa with two BF halfbacks already there? She may look somewhere where she can push for a bench spot like Matatu.
They could be holding trials as a development thing and using others to up the numbers for in house pre-season but that seems a bit strange as those players that don't expect to be in Aupiki aren't doing 15s training at the moment. Academies are in S&C mode full on and sevens players are gearing up for any sevens tournies like the schools stuff pre xmas.
Trials could offer coaches a chance to see some fringe players at work and keep in touch with them as emergencies. -
In January, there are trials to make the Hurricanes Poua team for Super Rugby Aupiki.
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The interest will be how many, if any, of the BF7s players are involved. The Chiefs Manawa will be the most affected here.
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@Bovidae said in Super Rugby Aupiki 2023:
The interest will be how many, if any, of the BF7s players are involved. The Chiefs Manawa will be the most affected here.
True. Haven’t compared the calendars.
Edit: Two World series womens rounds on at same time as Aupiki, also while Feb is empty on the sevens circuit it is bookended by Sydney right at the end of Jan and Vancouver right at the beginning of March. Aupiki starts end Feb so unlikely that any Sevens players will be available unless they don't make touring squads. Will be interesting to see who chooses to stick with Sevens. Most are still contracted I think (not sure if Tui ditched her Sevens contract or got leave from it)
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Les Elder announces retirement
Former Bay of Plenty, Chiefs Manawa and Black Ferns captain Les Elder has today announced her retirement from rugby.
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Didn't realise that it was a free for all this year.
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