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Billy Harmon retains Highlanders captaincy for 2024, All Black in leadership group
The Highlanders’ reigning Players’ Player Billy Harmon will lead the team once again in 2024, as confirmed by head coach Clarke Dermody on Wednesday.
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Harmon, 29, has played 34 matches for the Highlanders’ after signing with the Dunedin-based franchise in 2021. Since then, the star flanker hasn’t looked back.
The Highlanders’ enforcer is the backbone of the team, with the loose forward picked up Defender and Player of the Year honours at last year’s end-of-season awards night.
Harmon has also featured on a regular basis with the Maori All Blacks, was included in the All Blacks XV’s tour to Japan last year, and was nominated for the Tom French Memorial Maori Player of the Year last year.
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While the accolades practically speak for themselves, head coach Clark Dermody has shared an insightful explanation into why Harmon has retained the Highlanders’ captaincy.
“Billy leads by his actions – especially on the field. He’s very measured around his delivery of messages and he’s really calm, which is hugely important,” Dermody said in a statement.
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“He’s one of our best players on the field and well respected by the team from what he did last year, and I know he’s looking forward to leading the team again.”
Harmon will be supported by a leadership group that includes All Black Ethan de Groot, Sean Withy, Jona Nareki and new recruit Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens.
Midfielder Sam Gilbert will also support Harmon as the Highlanders’ vice-captain in 2024.
“Sam coming in as vice-captain is new for us,” Dermody added. ‘Sam’s got a good rugby brain and is involved heavily around our strategy.
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“They (Billy and Sam) work well together and are well aligned already.
“The leadership group has a good spread of experience and youth and we’ve also got the opportunity to grow our younger leaders and bring them into the group when we see fit.”
Coach Dermody has named 30 players in a squad to face the Hurricanes in a pre-season trial at Forsyth Barr Stadium this weekend, which includes both the skipper and vice-captain.
Daniel Lienert-Brown, Ricky Jackson and Jermaine Ainsley make up the front row, while Pari Pari Parkinson and Max Hicks will pack down behind them as the starting locks.
Captain Harmon joins Oliver Haig and Hugh Renton in a formidable loose forwards trio.
All Black Folau Fakatava joins Wales international Rhys Patchell in the halves, while Sam Gilbert and Jakee Te Hiwi will look to make their mark as the midfield pairing this week.
Wing Jona Nareki, Timoci Tavatavanawai and Connor Garden-Bachop will also link up for what promises to be an unmissable outside backs combination.
All Blacks prop Ethan de Groot is not in the 30, but the Highlanders have revealed that he’ll probably be available to play the Crusaders in next week’s trial.
Highlanders team to take on the Hurricanes in pre-season trial
- Daniel Lienert-Brown
- Ricky Jackson
- Jermaine Ainsley
- Pari Pari Parkinson
- Max Hicks
- Oliver Haig
- Billy Harmon (c)
- Hugh Renton
- Folau Fakatava
- Rhys Patchell
- Jona Nareki
- Sam Gilbert (vc)
- Jake Te Hiwi
- Timoci Tavatavanawai
- Connor Garden-Bachop
Reserves
Ayden Johnstone, Henry Bell, Saula Ma’u, Fabian Holland, Hugo Plummer, Blair Ryall, Sean Withy, Will Stodart, Nathan Hastie, Ajay Faleafaga, Martin Bogado, Matt Whaanga, Tanielu Tele’a, Jonah Lowe, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens
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Danny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
35 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
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