Cape Town - New Zealand's five Super Rugby franchises, the
Crusaders, Hurricanes, Highlanders, Chiefs and Blues, have named their
squads for the 2018 season.
Familiar names with unfamiliar faces, 42 new recruits, nine
sets of brothers including two twins are included in the squads which
were named on Wednesday.
A total 190 professional players have been
signed for the new season - 38 for each of the New Zealand Super Rugby
clubs - the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders.
There are nine sets of siblings - the Barretts, Beauden and
Jordie (Hurricanes), and Scott (Crusaders); Rieko and Akira Ioane
(Blues), Anton (Chiefs) and Daniel (Highlanders) Lienert-Brown; Damian
and Marty McKenzie (Chiefs), Dan (Highlanders) and Kara (Blues) Pryor,
Ardie and Julian Savea (Hurricanes), Sam (Crusaders) and Luke
(Highlanders) Whitelock and twins Peter (Hurricanes) and Thomas
(Highlanders) Umaga-Jensen and Jack (Crusaders) and Josh (Blues)
Goodhue.
Thirteen of those named were part of the world champion
winning New Zealand Under-20 side - Dalton Papalii, Stephen Perofeta,
Caleb Clarke and Tamati Tua (Blues), Tiaan Falcon and Luke Jacobson
(Chiefs), Alex Fidow, Asafo Aumua and Isaia Walker-Leawere (Hurricanes),
Braydon Ennor and Will Jordan (Crusaders) and Thomas Umaga-Jensen and
Josh McKay (Highlanders).
Among some of the unfamiliar faces, are some names very
familiar to New Zealand rugby - the more well-known of them being Blues
brothers Akira and Rieko Ioane, sons of former Black Fern Sandra
Wihongi, Caleb Clarke (son of All Blacks Eroni Clarke) has been picked
up by the Blues, Jackson Garden-Bachop (son of All Black Stephen Bachop)
who has been picked by the Hurricanes after an outstanding Mitre 10 Cup
season, Bryn Gatland (son of Wales and British & Irish Lions coach
Warren) returns to the Blues, while Ethan Blackadder, who has been
plying his trade with solid season at the Tasman Makos, has been signed
by the Crusaders, the team his father Todd, had previously coached.
Pari Pari Parkinson, nephew of Maori All Black and Bay of Plenty legend
Matua Parkinson, is a new signing for the competition and the
Highlanders.
Caleb Clarke gets another mention in the record books - at
18, he will enter the 2018 season as the youngest contracted player,
with Tasman stalwart and captain, Alex Ainley returning for another
season with the Highlanders, and who at 36, is at the other end of the
birthday list.
Another seasoned veteran - Mike Delany, who last played
Super Rugby in 2011 for the Chiefs, has come back from a stint overseas
to play a critical role for Bay of Plenty in this year's Mitre 10 Cup,
and earning himself a seat at the Crusaders' table.
New Zealand Rugby's Head of Rugby, Neil Sorensen, congratulated all the coaching and management teams and all 42 new players.
The Blues have signed eight rookies, the Chiefs and
Hurricanes, 10 each, the Crusaders, five, and the Highlanders nine new
players.
“There is no doubt that New Zealand talent is the most exciting on the planet," Sorensen told the All Blacks' official website.
"Congratulations to all those picked for the first time - this is a special time for them and their families.
“We know from previous seasons, that emerging talent comes
through all the time, and what’s exciting is to see players lift their
performance around the rugby environment.
New Zealand Super Rugby squads for 2018:
BLUES
Forwards: Leni Apisai, Matt Moulds, James
Parsons, Alex Hodgman, Sione Mafileo, Pauliasi Manu, Isaac Salmon, Mike
Tamoaieta, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, Josh Goodhue, Scott
Scrafton, Patrick Tuipulotu, Jimmy Tupou, Blake Gibson, Akira Ioane,
Jerome Kaino, Dalton Papalii, Glenn Preston, Kara Pryor, Murphy Taramai
Backs: Sam Nock, Augustine Pulu, Jonathan
Ruru, Otere Black/Daniel Kirkpatrick, Bryn Gatland, Stephen Perofeta,
Matt Johnson, George Moala, Tamati Tua, TJ Faiane, Sonny Bill Williams,
Caleb Clarke, Michael Collins, Matt Duffie, Rieko Ioane, Melani Nanai,
Jordan Trainor
CHIEFS
Forwards: Liam Polwart, Nathan Harris,
Samisoni Taukei’aho, Aidan Ross, Atu Moli, Kane Hames, Mitchell Graham,
Nepo Laulala, Sosefo Kautai, Brodie Retallick, Dominic Bird, Fin Hoeata,
Michael Allardice, Lachlan Boshier, Liam Messam, Luke Jacobson,
Mitchell Brown, Mitchell Karpik, Sam Cane, Taleni Seu, Tyler Ardron
Backs: Brad Weber, Jonathan Taumateine, Te
Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Damian McKenzie, Marty McKenzie, Tiaan Falcon, Alex
Nankivell, Anton Lienert-Brown, Charlie Ngatai, Johnny Fa’auli, Regan
Verney, Levi Aumua, Sam McNicol, Shaun Stevenson, Solomon Alaimalo, Toni
Pulu, Tim Nanai-Williams
CRUSADERS
Forwards: Ben Funnell, Andrew Makalio,
Codie Taylor, Mike Alaalatoa, Wyatt Crockett, Owen Franks, Oliver Jager,
Joe Moody, Tim Perry, Scott Barrett, Mitchell Dunshea, Luke Romano,
Quinten Strange, Sam Whitelock, Ethan Blackadder, Billy Harmon, Kieran
Read, Tom Sanders, Pete Samu, Jordan Taufua, Matt Todd
Backs: Mitchell Drummond, Bryn Hall, Jack
Stratton, Mike Delany, Mitchell Hunt, Richie Mo’unga, Tim Bateman, Ryan
Crotty, Jack Goodhue, Braydon Ennor, George Bridge, Israel Dagg, David
Havili, Will Jordan, Jone Macilai, Manasa Mataele, Seta Tamanivalu
HIGHLANDERS
Forwards: Liam Coltman, Ash Dixon, Greg
Pleasants-Tate, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Tyrel Lomax, Guy Millar, Aki
Seiuli, Siate Tokolahi, Kalolo Tuiloma, Alex Ainley, Josh Dickson, Tom
Franklin, Jackson Hemopo, Pari Pari Parkinson, Elliot Dixon, Shannon
Frizell, Dillon Hunt, James Lentjes, Dan Pryor, Liam Squire, Luke
Whitelock
Backs: Kayne Hammington, Josh Renton, Aaron
Smith, Josh Ioane, Fletcher Smith, Lima Sopoaga, Richard Buckman,
Patelesio Tomkinson, Rob Thompson, Teihorangi Walden, Thomas
Umaga-Jensen, Matt Faddes, Tevita Li, Josh McKay, Tevita Nabura, Waisake
Naholo, Ben Smith
HURRICANES
Forwards: Asafo Aumua, Dane Coles, Ricky
Riccitelli, Chris Eves, Alex Fidow, Reg Goodes, Ben May, Toby Smith,
Jeffery To’omaga-Allen, James Blackwell, Murray Douglas, Michael
Fatialofa, Sam Lousi, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Gareth Evans, Vaea Fifita,
Sam Henwood, Reed Prinsep, Ardie Savea, Brad Shields, Blade Thomson
Backs: Jamie Booth, Finlay Christie, TJ
Perenara, Beauden Barrett, Jackson Garden-Bachop, TJ Va’a, Ihaia West,
Vince Aso, Ngani Laumape, Matt Proctor, Peter Umaga-Jensen, Jordie
Barrett, Wes Goosen, Ben Lam, Jonah Lowe, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Julian
Savea