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Wallaby Taniela Tupou headlines exciting Melbourne Rebels squad for 2024
Prop Taniela Tupou headlines a new-look Melbourne Rebels squad ahead of the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season, with the Victorian club recruiting Wallabies, a former All Black, U20s stars as an Australian Sevens phenom.
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Wallabies enforcer Taniela ‘The Tongan Thor’ Tupou officially penned a deal with the Melbourne-based club in February, with the tighthead prop committing to a multi-year deal down south.
Tupou joins the Rebels along with former Wallabies Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Filipo Daugunu. One-Test All Black Matt Proctor is another marquee recruit following a stint overseas in Japan.
“Firstly, our management has done an excellent job in recruiting some new players to strengthen our squad,” halfback Ryan Louwrens told Rebels Media during the offseason.
“The one player that has really stood out is Lukhan Salakai -Loto. He has come into the team and has not only brought his experience as a player but also has excellent leadership skills. He is a player that gets stuck in at training and competes for everything. He leads by action and not just words which I respect and value.
“I believe that will help us create a winning culture at the Club in season 2024.”
Matt Ribbon, Cabous Eloff, Pone Fa’amausili, Sam Talakai and Jordan Uelese are among the talented front rowers among the Rebels’ ranks for 2024. The rest of the forward pack certainly packs a punch too, including rampaging backrower Vaiolini Ekuasi.
As for the backs, Carter Gordon has been listed in the halves alongside younger brother Mason Gordon who donned Australian gold at the World Rugby U20s Championships earlier this year.
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Gordon has been listed as one of the ‘utility’ players in the squad, with the rising star playing most of is rugby in the No. 15 jersey for the Junior Wallabies.
One of the Rebels’ most intriguing additions during the offseason is Darby Lancaster. Lancaster was sensational for Australia on the Sevens World Series last season, and will likely play on the wing for the Rebels next season.
Melbourne Rebels squad for Super Rugby Pacific 2024
Front Row
Matt Gibbon, Cabous Eloff, Isaac Kailea, Alex Mafi, Jordan Uelese, Ethan Dobbins, Pone Fa’amausili, Sam Talakai, Taniela Tupou
Lock
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Josh Canham, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Angelo Smith, Tuaina Taii Tualima
Back Row
Vaiolini Ekuasi, Zac Hough, Josh Kemeny, Rob Leota, Daniel Maiava, Brad Wilkin
Halves
Ryan Louwrens, James Tuttle, Jack Maunder, Carter Gordon, Jake Strachan*, Mason Gordon*
Centres
David Feliuai, Lukas Ripley, Matt Proctor, Nick Jooste. Lebron Naea. Divad Palu David Vaihu, Filipo Daugunu*
Back Three
Lachie Anderson, Andrew Kellaway, Darby Lancaster, Joe Pincus, Glen Vaihu
* Denotes utility
Comments on RugbyPass
Yes, 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.
2 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
2 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 …
34 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
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