Magpies 2023
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From a pay-walled article in the HBT:
Head coach Josh Syms is far from the only Magpie flying the coop for the United States.
Gene Symington, Caleb Makene, Lolani Faleiva, Kianu Kereru-Symes and scrum coach Francisco Deformes are all bound for NPC offseason contracts in Major League Rugby (MLR) franchises too.Kianu, too!
A couple of other Hawke's Bay squad members have also signed deals, which are yet to be announced.
Syms will be head coach of Washington-based Old Glory DC, before returning to fulfil his 2023 contract with the Magpies.
How much we see of him beyond that remains to be seen, as does how many other provincial players pursue opportunities in the United States.
"It's a challenge for New Zealand Rugby, because of course we're seeing some implications in the training stocks and the second-tier players for Super Rugby teams. They're finding it pretty challenging to accumulate enough players, with a dwindling talent pool in New Zealand as it is.''
Syms, who heads to the United States with his family shortly, goes with the full support of the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union. Both parties see this as an important part of his professional development, as well as giving Magpies assistants Brock James and Sam McNicol the chance to oversee the Magpies' preseason programme.The HBRU has never announced Sam as an assistant coach. Is that his official job title?
"The thing about life is you never know where it turns or where it takes you,'' said Syms.
"I left Auckland in 2013 and since then I've coached in South America, Invercargill, Wellington, Masterton and now Hawke's Bay, so you just don't know.
"I'm really committed to the Magpies for next year, which is the second year of my contract and what'll be my seventh year with the Magpies.
"But it's not an infinite life where you are. At some stage someone will have to give a fresh perspective to the Magpies, which is important to the players and the province.
"Look, I'm well aware that I've got to grow those next guys and, as a coach-development person and obviously a Hawke's Bay person now, I'm really keen to see that come from within Hawke's Bay and see those coaches grow internally.
"While I've got the opportunity to do it, I really want to grow those next guys so that they're ready when it's time for me to move on.''Big risk leaving recruitment/team selection for the 2023 season to such inexperienced coaches, but if that means less bias towards failed Wellington/Wairapap players, it may be an advantage.
I'm also not in favour of such rookie coaches taking over from Syms in 2024. I prefer a successful, more experienced coach getting the Head Coach role. I don't want what Ozich built up to be broken down so quickly.@Stargazer said in Magpies 2023:
Kianu, too!
Hard to believe he's so far out of the reckoning that he'd rather go to US than hang around with hooker attrition at Super rugby. Although I guess when the guy who used be below you in the pecking order didn't actually play the NPC and picks up a Super spot you would wonder what's the point.
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@Stargazer said in Magpies 2023:
Kianu, too!
Hard to believe he's so far out of the reckoning that he'd rather go to US than hang around with hooker attrition at Super rugby. Although I guess when the guy who used be below you in the pecking order didn't actually play the NPC and picks up a Super spot you would wonder what's the point.
@Nepia I reckon he's high up the list of hookers to be called up in case of a Hurricanes injury, but you don't get paid for waiting until injury strikes. I had some hope the Highlanders would sign him, but they picked Leni Apisai instead. Hard to understand that signing. :man_shrugging_medium_skin_tone:
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The Magpies will play the following provinces in 2023 (in alphabetical order):
Home
- Bay of Plenty
- Manawatū
- North Harbour
- Otago
- Waikato
Away
- Auckland
- Counties Manukau
- Northland
- Southland
- Wellington
If I'm correct about the seeding of the provinces at the end of the 2022 season, the games against Manawatū, Waikato (home), Auckland and Northland (away) are the cross-over games. The others are the provinces in our own (odds) conference.
If Wellington can hold on to the Shield, we will have a Shield challenge.
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The Magpies will play the following provinces in 2023 (in alphabetical order):
Home
- Bay of Plenty
- Manawatū
- North Harbour
- Otago
- Waikato
Away
- Auckland
- Counties Manukau
- Northland
- Southland
- Wellington
If I'm correct about the seeding of the provinces at the end of the 2022 season, the games against Manawatū, Waikato (home), Auckland and Northland (away) are the cross-over games. The others are the provinces in our own (odds) conference.
If Wellington can hold on to the Shield, we will have a Shield challenge.
@Stargazer Grrr no matches against the evil Crusader teams next year.
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The Magpies will play the following provinces in 2023 (in alphabetical order):
Home
- Bay of Plenty
- Manawatū
- North Harbour
- Otago
- Waikato
Away
- Auckland
- Counties Manukau
- Northland
- Southland
- Wellington
If I'm correct about the seeding of the provinces at the end of the 2022 season, the games against Manawatū, Waikato (home), Auckland and Northland (away) are the cross-over games. The others are the provinces in our own (odds) conference.
If Wellington can hold on to the Shield, we will have a Shield challenge.
@Stargazer said in Magpies 2023:
The Magpies will play the following provinces in 2023 (in alphabetical order):
Home
- Bay of Plenty
- Manawatū
- North Harbour
- Otago
- Waikato
Away
- Auckland
- Counties Manukau
- Northland
- Southland
- Wellington
If I'm correct about the seeding of the provinces at the end of the 2022 season, the games against Manawatū, Waikato (home), Auckland and Northland (away) are the cross-over games. The others are the provinces in our own (odds) conference.
If Wellington can hold on to the Shield, we will have a Shield challenge.
Has the order of the games been confirmed? Hawkes Bay might get first challenge (assuming we win the challenges in the pre season)..
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@Stargazer said in Magpies 2023:
The Magpies will play the following provinces in 2023 (in alphabetical order):
Home
- Bay of Plenty
- Manawatū
- North Harbour
- Otago
- Waikato
Away
- Auckland
- Counties Manukau
- Northland
- Southland
- Wellington
If I'm correct about the seeding of the provinces at the end of the 2022 season, the games against Manawatū, Waikato (home), Auckland and Northland (away) are the cross-over games. The others are the provinces in our own (odds) conference.
If Wellington can hold on to the Shield, we will have a Shield challenge.
Has the order of the games been confirmed? Hawkes Bay might get first challenge (assuming we win the challenges in the pre season)..
@Canes4life No, not yet. NZR released the names of provinces in random order. The draw will be released early 2023, so only then we'll know who gets the first challenge.
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Replying to this here:
@Higgins said in 2023 Hawke's Bay Representative Rugby:
@Stargazer The pertinent bit is right at the end.
"At provincial level, where the opportunities at flyhalf are likely to first arise, Sullivan expects to spend the next two seasons in New Zealand’s largest city but notes that home is always calling: “I’ve always said that once my brother goes back home, I’m going back home.”
Undoubtedly, Magpies fans would rejoice to see Zarn and Bailyn back in the black and white hoops but first thing’s first for the younger brother: the current target is simply getting back to full health and making it through the Super Rugby Pacific pre-season."
So, the HBRU strategy should be to first target Bailyn, get him to sign with the Magpies, and then Zarn will follow.
I wish I knew when Bailyn's contract with Waikato expires. Hopefully, before Zarn (or both of them) becomes an AB and, as a result, unavailable for NPC. -
Many of us already knew this; now, it's officially confirmed by the HBRU:
hbmagpies Magpie #1608, Jason Long, is calling it time on his career.
JLo has given everything to the Black and White jersey, both on and off the field.- Debut against Otago in 2014 (Ranfurley Shield Challenge win)
- 63 Caps
- 9 Tries
- 3 Ranfurley Sheild riegns
- 417 niggles at the bottom of a ruck
- NZ Marist (2014, 2016)
Here's to one of Hastings Rugby and Sports Clubs finest!
Thank you, Jason.
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Many of us already knew this; now, it's officially confirmed by the HBRU:
hbmagpies Magpie #1608, Jason Long, is calling it time on his career.
JLo has given everything to the Black and White jersey, both on and off the field.- Debut against Otago in 2014 (Ranfurley Shield Challenge win)
- 63 Caps
- 9 Tries
- 3 Ranfurley Sheild riegns
- 417 niggles at the bottom of a ruck
- NZ Marist (2014, 2016)
Here's to one of Hastings Rugby and Sports Clubs finest!
Thank you, Jason.
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@Number-10 Are they goring somewhere else, or retiring? I could understand Tremain - still young - trying to get a spot somewhere else, as he doesn't get much game time. Syms' infatuation with Sam Smith has made that worse. Gareth, hanging up the boots, or going to earn some coin overseas? Waa, retiring?
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Hawke's Bay RU AGM tonight.
Profit of $1,078,178 declared. Take out the $1,000,000 received, as one of the 14 Premier Unions, from the Silver Lake deal and still would have made a profit. That Silver Lake money is tagged - it cannot be spent on Operational activity - and is currently invested.
Reserves now $3.6 million.
Five new staff positions created - 2 more RDO's, 1 Girls Junior Rugby manager, 1 club administration officer and 1 Coach Development manager. The Coach Development manager is George Konia.
New President is Mavis Mullins - first female president of the HBRU.
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Hawke's Bay RU AGM tonight.
Profit of $1,078,178 declared. Take out the $1,000,000 received, as one of the 14 Premier Unions, from the Silver Lake deal and still would have made a profit. That Silver Lake money is tagged - it cannot be spent on Operational activity - and is currently invested.
Reserves now $3.6 million.
Five new staff positions created - 2 more RDO's, 1 Girls Junior Rugby manager, 1 club administration officer and 1 Coach Development manager. The Coach Development manager is George Konia.
New President is Mavis Mullins - first female president of the HBRU.
@Number-10 That's really good news but with the Shield I would have expected the surplus to have been a bit more (even allowing for the Silver Lake money). With the recent devastating weather we have suffered I hope the HBRFU have taken that into account when it comes to budgeting for the upcoming season. I expect there will be a reasonable chunk of money missing from the loyal rural supporters/sponsors that might have fronted up with a few thousand here and there that they simply won't be able to afford for the next few years.
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Hawke's Bay RU AGM tonight.
Profit of $1,078,178 declared. Take out the $1,000,000 received, as one of the 14 Premier Unions, from the Silver Lake deal and still would have made a profit. That Silver Lake money is tagged - it cannot be spent on Operational activity - and is currently invested.
Reserves now $3.6 million.
Five new staff positions created - 2 more RDO's, 1 Girls Junior Rugby manager, 1 club administration officer and 1 Coach Development manager. The Coach Development manager is George Konia.
New President is Mavis Mullins - first female president of the HBRU.
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@Number-10 That's really good news but with the Shield I would have expected the surplus to have been a bit more (even allowing for the Silver Lake money). With the recent devastating weather we have suffered I hope the HBRFU have taken that into account when it comes to budgeting for the upcoming season. I expect there will be a reasonable chunk of money missing from the loyal rural supporters/sponsors that might have fronted up with a few thousand here and there that they simply won't be able to afford for the next few years.
@Higgins said in Magpies 2023:
@Number-10 That's really good news but with the Shield I would have expected the surplus to have been a bit more (even allowing for the Silver Lake money). With the recent devastating weather we have suffered I hope the HBRFU have taken that into account when it comes to budgeting for the upcoming season. I expect there will be a reasonable chunk of money missing from the loyal rural supporters/sponsors that might have fronted up with a few thousand here and there that they simply won't be able to afford for the next few years.
They had budgeted 2022 to be a $20,000 loss, so taking out the Silver Lake $ it is a better than expected result.
The possible negative effect of Cyclone Gabrielle on sponsorship money for this year was mentioned at the AGM.
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2023 Magpies draw:
Date Time Home Away Venue/Town Sat 5 August 5:05pm Magpies North Harbour McLean Park, Napier Fri 11 August 7:05pm Counties Manukau Magpies Navigation Homes Stadium, Pukekohe Wed 16 August 7:05pm Magpies Waikato McLean Park, Napier Sun 20 August 2:05pm Magpies Otago McLean Park, Napier Sat 26 August 2:05pm Auckland Magpies Eden Park, Auckland Fri 1 September 7:05pm Northland Magpies Semenoff Stadium, Whangārei Sat 9 September 4:35pm Magpies Bay of Plenty McLean Park, Napier Fri 15 September 7:05pm Magpies Manawatū McLean Park, Napier Sat 23 September 2:05pm Southland Magpies Rugby Park, Invercargill Sat 30 September 2:05pm Wellington (RS) Magpies Sky Stadium, Wellington 6 - 8 October Quarter-finals 13-14 October Semi-Finals w/end 21 Oct Final -
Will Wellington still have the Shield then?
Assuming they get past the likes of South Canterbury and East Coast they have these on the menu
19 August v Southland
23 August v Ta$man
2 September v Counties Manakau
24 September v North Harbour
9 October v Hawkes BayGames of the season take place on Sept 9 (BoP) and Sept 15 (The 'Poo), thankfully both of them at home at long last
