2023 Hawke's Bay Representative Rugby
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I don't recall seeing Hisamitsu Shimada, Yuhei Sugiyama and Ryo Kikkawa during my stay up in the Bay and I saw all teams play bar MAC, Pirates and Havelock. Does anyone know anything about these guys? Come to think of it Bear WIlliams is also an unknown name to me.
Looks to be a touch short in the locking department, at least in numbers.@Higgins Those Japanese players must be here on some special arrangement. Many provinces have Japanese players on some kind of development contract. All three are players from Japanese League One clubs: Hisamitsu Shimada from Red Hurricanes Osaka, Yuhei Sugiyama from Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo and Ryo Kikkawa from [Hino Red Dolphins](Ryo Kikkawa). It's a weird one, because they're not even that young. I hope they're just added to the squad and don't take the place of a local player, but it's possible that the player movement isn't in one direction only. Maybe some Hawke's Bay players will get an opportunity at the respective clubs in Japan?
Bear Williams last played for Cornish Pirates. If you click that link, you'll also see the name of Shae Tucker, a Napier lad who played one game for the Magpies in 2018, which I can't remember at all. He played 4 seasons for Cornish Pirates. Maybe Tucker is responsible for Williams ending up here for some kind of OE?
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Sugiyama and Kikkawa played for Pirates this year, Shimada played for Clive and Williams for NOB Marist.
Brandon Televave (MAC) also appeared for Moana Pasifika U20 earlier this year and, interestingly, Semi Vodosese has also been named in this year's Whanganui's 37-man initial Heartland squad.
Another to play in HB club rugby this year - Konradd Newland (Pirates) - has also been named in that initial Whanganui squad.
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Sugiyama and Kikkawa played for Pirates this year, Shimada played for Clive and Williams for NOB Marist.
Brandon Televave (MAC) also appeared for Moana Pasifika U20 earlier this year and, interestingly, Semi Vodosese has also been named in this year's Whanganui's 37-man initial Heartland squad.
Another to play in HB club rugby this year - Konradd Newland (Pirates) - has also been named in that initial Whanganui squad.
@Number-10 It doesn't surprise me that they have played club rugby here, too. It's a similar scenario to that in Southland, except that there Japanese players actually made their NPC squad. I saw Newland being named in the Whanganui wtg squad. Ezra Malo not going back to Whanganui, this year?
Mefi Tupou has been named in the Otago Development squad, I think. It looks like the Highlanders want to keep him in the system there?
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For you guys who watched club rugby this year what did you think of the form of Udy-Johns? My mate who watches a lot of club rugby said he's been a stand out this year, and when he didn't make the Magpies squad he just assumed he'd been signed by another province, but then was bemused to see him in the dev squad only.
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For you guys who watched club rugby this year what did you think of the form of Udy-Johns? My mate who watches a lot of club rugby said he's been a stand out this year, and when he didn't make the Magpies squad he just assumed he'd been signed by another province, but then was bemused to see him in the dev squad only.
@Nepia His name has come up quite a bit in the club rugby thread, this year. And yes, we're all wondering why Udy-Johns didn't make the Magpies squad.
I can only assume he didn't make the squad because someone like Sam Smith (one of Josh Syms' pets) is still under contract and they didn't want to run the risk of Cooper Flanders ending up somewhere else. I hope LIam sticks around, because there will be injuries, and he may push out Sam Smith, next year.
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The representative (pre)season starts next weekend (Sat 29 July 2023). I haven't seen all the details about venue and k/o times, yet, but these are the games that I've found thus far:
Hawke's Bay Development v Whanganui - Taihape
Central HB Representative Rugby v Ngāti Porou East Coast - Otane Domain
Wairoa sub-union v Hawke's Bay Māori - k/o 2.30pm at Lambton Square, Wairoa -
The representative (pre)season starts next weekend (Sat 29 July 2023). I haven't seen all the details about venue and k/o times, yet, but these are the games that I've found thus far:
Hawke's Bay Development v Whanganui - Taihape
Central HB Representative Rugby v Ngāti Porou East Coast - Otane Domain
Wairoa sub-union v Hawke's Bay Māori - k/o 2.30pm at Lambton Square, Wairoa@Stargazer said in 2023 Hawke's Bay Representative Rugby:
The representative (pre)season starts next weekend (Sat 29 July 2023). I haven't seen all the details about venue and k/o times, yet, but these are the games that I've found thus far:
Hawke's Bay Development v Whanganui - Taihape
Central HB Representative Rugby v Ngāti Porou East Coast - Otane Domain
Wairoa sub-union v Hawke's Bay Māori - k/o 2.30pm at Lambton Square, WairoaThe Under 19's are playing Waikato U19 at Taupo.
The new Tui Dev team are playing Wairarapa Bush at Masterton.
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@Nepia His name has come up quite a bit in the club rugby thread, this year. And yes, we're all wondering why Udy-Johns didn't make the Magpies squad.
I can only assume he didn't make the squad because someone like Sam Smith (one of Josh Syms' pets) is still under contract and they didn't want to run the risk of Cooper Flanders ending up somewhere else. I hope LIam sticks around, because there will be injuries, and he may push out Sam Smith, next year.
@Stargazer said in 2023 Hawke's Bay Representative Rugby:
@Nepia His name has come up quite a bit in the club rugby thread, this year. And yes, we're all wondering why Udy-Johns didn't make the Magpies squad.
I can only assume he didn't make the squad because someone like Sam Smith (one of Josh Syms' pets) is still under contract and they didn't want to run the risk of Cooper Flanders ending up somewhere else. I hope LIam sticks around, because there will be injuries, and he may push out Sam Smith, next year.
Yes, I was a bit surprised Liam Udy-Johns missed. I watched Tech three times and he always seemed to be prominent - finished off a very good try v MAC.
Only saw Havelock twice this year - v Tech and Hastings. Smith did not play either game but Tony Lamborn played against Tech.
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@Stargazer said in 2023 Hawke's Bay Representative Rugby:
The representative (pre)season starts next weekend (Sat 29 July 2023). I haven't seen all the details about venue and k/o times, yet, but these are the games that I've found thus far:
Hawke's Bay Development v Whanganui - Taihape
Central HB Representative Rugby v Ngāti Porou East Coast - Otane Domain
Wairoa sub-union v Hawke's Bay Māori - k/o 2.30pm at Lambton Square, WairoaThe Under 19's are playing Waikato U19 at Taupo.
The new Tui Dev team are playing Wairarapa Bush at Masterton.
@Number-10 Excellent. Lots of games. Add to that the Magpies v Waikato preseason game (Taupo) and the Tui v Waikato FPC game (Hastings) and there are 7 games involving HB teams.
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For you guys who watched club rugby this year what did you think of the form of Udy-Johns? My mate who watches a lot of club rugby said he's been a stand out this year, and when he didn't make the Magpies squad he just assumed he'd been signed by another province, but then was bemused to see him in the dev squad only.
@Nepia said in 2023 Hawke's Bay Representative Rugby:
For you guys who watched club rugby this year what did you think of the form of Udy-Johns? My mate who watches a lot of club rugby said he's been a stand out this year, and when he didn't make the Magpies squad he just assumed he'd been signed by another province, but then was bemused to see him in the dev squad only.
I only watched Tech in 2 games this year - the semi against NOB and final against Taradale. In both games, he would have been my MOTM. Similarly, I am confused in his non-selection. I wonder if the selectors don't think he has the size needed for a 7?
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@Nepia said in 2023 Hawke's Bay Representative Rugby:
For you guys who watched club rugby this year what did you think of the form of Udy-Johns? My mate who watches a lot of club rugby said he's been a stand out this year, and when he didn't make the Magpies squad he just assumed he'd been signed by another province, but then was bemused to see him in the dev squad only.
I only watched Tech in 2 games this year - the semi against NOB and final against Taradale. In both games, he would have been my MOTM. Similarly, I am confused in his non-selection. I wonder if the selectors don't think he has the size needed for a 7?
@Stockcar86 Funny that you should turn up for two of the few games that I was not there for!!!!!! Liam could almost be compared to Ardie Savea in that he would go equally well as a second five as he does as an openside given his skills. Ardie obviously dwarfs him as Liam would struggle to reach 190cm much less exceed the 2.00metres plus of Ardie! One can only guess that selectors are going to adopt a bulldozing type forward dominated style given Udy-Johns bewildering non-selection and using the reasoning that he is not built like an over musclebound MMA fighter as justification for his omission. But then that does not account for the not exactly large Sam Smith in his place nor the best second five bar none seen in club rugby, Mr. Popoali'i, being overlooked as well, particularly when looking at the three midfielders name being pretty much bench players last season.
Udy-Johns invariably got over the advantage line when tasked with the carting the ball up job and made big yardage when give a bit of space a little bit further out and some of the seven loose forwards named in the initial squad not being that much bigger than him and apart from Smith not really seen as opensiders these days. -
It wouldn't surprise me at all if Kahlia Awa makes the Black Ferns in the next few years. Hopefully she will be picked by the Hurricanes Poua as a full squad member for 2024.
https://www.provincial.rugby/news/awa-out-to-create-history/
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Tui team to take on Waikato
Sat 29 July 2023 - 2.05pm - Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park, Hastings
Sky Sport 1
@Higgins She's back (at 3)!
@Stargazer said in 2023 Hawke's Bay Representative Rugby:
Tui team to take on Waikato
Sat 29 July 2023 - 2.05pm - Sky Sport 1@Higgins She's back (at 3)!
:partying_face: :beaming_face_with_smiling_eyes: 
:grinning_face_with_big_eyes: :woman-cartwheeling: -
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More details about the rep games, this weekend:
Central HB Representative Rugby U18 (invitational team) v NP East Coast U18 (invitational team) - k/o 11.00am at Otane Domain
Central HB Representative Rugby v NP East Coast - k/o 2.15pm at Otane Domain
Whanganui v Hawke's Bay Development - k/o 2.30pm at Memorial Park, Taihape
Wairoa Sub-Union v Hawke's Bay Māori - k/o 2.30pm at Lambton Square, Wairoa
Wairo squad:
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FT: Tui 10 - 14 Waikato
Considering Waikato beat BOP 50 - 0 in round one, and beat the reigning champions Canterbury in round 2, this is a very good result for the Tui, also bagging a bonus point. Very good start in the Premiership.
@Stargazer said in 2023 Hawke's Bay Representative Rugby:
FT: Tui 10 - 14 Waikato
Considering Waikato beat BOP 50 - 0 in round one, and beat the reigning champions Canterbury in round 2, this is a very good result for the Tui, also bagging a bonus point. Very good start in the Premiership.
It was a good game to watch. HB number 8 was the best Tui player. Ashley had a really good 55 minutes too
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@Stargazer said in 2023 Hawke's Bay Representative Rugby:
FT: Tui 10 - 14 Waikato
Considering Waikato beat BOP 50 - 0 in round one, and beat the reigning champions Canterbury in round 2, this is a very good result for the Tui, also bagging a bonus point. Very good start in the Premiership.
It was a good game to watch. HB number 8 was the best Tui player. Ashley had a really good 55 minutes too
@Stockcar86 Yeah, I'm glad I chose to watch the Tui play instead of the Samoa v Fiji game. Kathleen Brown has been huge for the Tui the last few years and it's a pity that she hasn't it made it further than the Hurricanes Poua's fringes. She trained with them but didn't get game time, this year. Last year, she got only a few minutes.
Halfback Kahlia Awa is promising, too. A bit too keen sometimes, but her decision-making will improve. She reminds me a lot of Folau Fakatava a few years ago. Moomooga Palu is a great bulldozer; I love watching her running undisturbed by all the opponents who desperately try to get her to the ground.
Both former Black Ferns, Krysten Cottrell and Gemma Woods are also important in the team. Cottrell is a great leader and Woods is relentless. She started as a halfback, has played at prop, and now plays in the backrow. But wherever she plays, she throws herself into her work and doesn't stop until the game is over. Huge engine. Leading by example.
The Tui's greatest worry is that their scrum gets dominated, but the line-out worked well. Tackling has improved the last few years. Biggest improvement however is fitness. I remember reading a few years ago that they struggled to get some players to come to training because they didn't take it too seriously. They also started working on fitness far too late in the season, meaning that they struggled early in the season and they started improving as the season progressed. Now they seem to start the season fit and all players seem to be committed.
Hopefully, the Tui now playing in the Premiership means they get noticed more and more players will be picked up by Aupiki squads and maybe - ultimately - the Black Ferns too.
