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All Blacks flanker Dillon Hunt named captain of North Harbour squad powered by 12 Super Rugby players
The North Harbour Mitre 10 Cup side is bucking the trend once again by selecting a squad with home-grown roots and plenty of history in the province.
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In the 32-man squad confirmed today, a total of 16 players attended high school in the North Harbour region and many have family links to the team.
The squad has retained the majority of players from 2019 when they finished fifth in the Premiership, but have also gained through a number of players earning more experience in Super Rugby teams and wider training groups.
Dillon Hunt and Bryn Gatland were at the Highlanders, Shaun Stevenson featured at the Chiefs, while Murphy Taramai was at the Hurricanes, having previously played for the Blues and also the All Blacks Sevens.
At the Super Rugby Aotearoa winning Crusaders was 22-year-old loose forward, Ethan Roots along with halfback Bryn Hall.
Hall has 78 appearances for North Harbour and is one of a group of seven players in the squad who have played over 30 times for the province.
The Blues had a number of Harbour players featuring strongly with the likes of Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, Karl Tu’inukuafe and Sione Mafileo mainstays of the side while 22-year-old Jacob Pierce put in some hard-hitting appearances as well. Pierce is a potential star of the future at over two metres tall and in excess of 115kg. His father, Scott was a North Harbour player during the 1980’s and 90’s with 74 appearances for the team.
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Of note is that there are three sets of brothers in the squad; Cowley-Tuioti, Gerard and Xavier, Lotu and Fine Inisi as well as the Roots, Ethan and Jimmy.
Captain for the 2020 season is Highlanders flanker Hunt, who has a busy time coming up with the North vs South game before returning to his home province to lead the team.
“It’s a fairly young side. Guys have been rewarded for what they’ve done in clubs,” said 25-year-old Hunt. “We’ve retained a pretty solid group of core leaders, it’s a pretty exciting squad and I’m keen to see what we can do. Even last year we didn’t have as many big names as the other teams, but we were able to compete with them and that’s a lot down to the way we were preparing and the way the buy into it and the young guys fitting in.”
For Hunt, the ‘home’ factor and provincial pride represent a lot to him and to the players in the squad.
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“It means a lot to people growing up here who have watched the team when they were younger are now part of it. I think it’s pretty special to get guys from the region or have been in the region in the past. It shows there is a clear pathway. I’m very proud…to be a leader in the team, I got a bit of experience last year and I’m looking forward to it, I’ve got some great guys around me who will help me out. I’m pretty excited about where we can take this team over this year and the next couple of years.”
Head coach Kieran Keane is pleased with the group he has assembled and how fresh and keen they are to get on the field and represent their province.
“I think it’s nice they have come from the region, it’s their home and their education was here and representing the flagship team means something. We’ve managed to return the core of the team, but with some freshness as well. We’ve picked the players who are available to us locally and hopefully they get the support from the community,” said Keane.
Razor apparently needs international coaching experience – and this would certainly be an experience! #AllBlacks #BritishandIrishLionshttps://t.co/5PmVWwPPnN
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 20, 2020
“There is a settled element to this team. Other provinces like to target big names, we like to grow them. We could surprise a few people with what we can do.”
The home matches for Harbour are the opening game of the season against Canterbury on Friday 11 September as well as against Mitre 10 Cup champions, Tasman on Sunday 4 October, Hawkes Bay Sunday 11 October, the Battle of the Bridge, Saturday 24 October and Counties Manukau Saturday 7 November.
North Harbour stalwart, James Parsons is unavailable due to concussion symptoms.
QBE Insurance continue their support of North Harbour Rugby as principal partner, with Kennards Hire NZ, Barfoot & Thompson, Paladin, Westie Pies, Benefitz, Ritchies Coachlines and North Harbour Ford as major partners of the Union. Their support alongside our other partners is critical to the ongoing success of the team and organisation.
North Harbour Mitre 10 Cup Squad:
Forwards:
Hooker
Luteru Tolai (Northcote), 16 caps
Zane Turner (Silverdale), 0 caps
Prop
Sione Mafileo (North Shore), 53 caps
Nic Mayhew (Northcote), 33 caps
Teague McElroy (Northcote), 0 caps
Jimmy Roots (East Coast Bays), 2 caps
Karl Tu’inukuafe (Takapuna), 27 caps
Lock
Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, (Massey), 56 caps
Xavier Cowley-Tuioti (Massey), 1 cap
Jacob Pierce (North Shore), 17 caps
Mitchell Ryan (Northcote), 0 caps
Loose forward
Tate Evans (East Coast Bays), 2 caps
Dillon Hunt (Marist), 17 caps
Lotu Inisi (Takapuna), 9 caps
Tamarau McGahan (Marist), 0 caps
Ethan Roots (East Coast Bays), 10 caps
Tim Sail (Northcote), 0 caps
Murphy Taramai (Northcote), 41 caps
Backs:
Halfback
Lewis Gjaltema (East Coast Bays), 21 caps
Bryn Hall (Northcote), 78 caps
Brad McNaughten (North Shore), 1 cap
First five
Kade Banks (Takapuna), 0 caps
Bryn Gatland (Takapuna), 31 caps
Jack Heighton (East Coast Bays), 0 caps
Midfield
Fine Inisi (Takapuna), 4 caps
James Little (North Shore), 8 caps
Outside back
Tomas Aoake (East Coast Bays), 5 caps
Walter Fifita (Massey), 0 caps
Ngarohi McGarvey-Black (Marist), 0 caps
Jared Page (East Coast Bays), 3 caps
Shaun Stevenson (Northcote), 30 caps
Asaeli Tikoirotuma (Northcote), 9 caps.
– North Harbour Rugby
Comments on RugbyPass
I think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
4 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
14 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
14 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
3 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
4 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to comments