Waratahs sign All Black star's brother as one of two new recruits
The Waratahs have signed the younger brother of All Blacks star Patrick Tuipulotu as one of two new recruits ahead of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.
The New South Wales franchise have picked up Hamdan Tuipulotu on an Extended Development Squad contract to help bolster the squad’s stocks at tighthead prop following injuries in their front row.
“We had some unforeseen personnel losses at prop and needed to strengthen our squad in that area,” Waratahs head coach Darren Coleman said via a press release on Friday.
“We liked what we saw from Hamdan and worked hard with Western Sydney Two Blues to bring him across to Sydney.
“We view Hamdan as a project player for the future and feel he will contribute strongly to not only our program but also the Western Sydney Two Blues and their resurgence in the Shute Shield.”
Tuipulotu – who six years younger than Patrick, the 41-test All Blacks lock currently on sabbatical in Japan with Toyota Verblitz – said the opportunity to join the Waratahs was a significant one in his budding professional career.
“The Waratahs are a world-class team and I’m excited to be here. It was definitely an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up,” he said.
“From the outside looking in, the last few years seemed tough, but there’s so much potential here and a great coaching staff and I can’t wait to see what we can do on the field.”
Tuipulotu is one of two Kiwi players called upon by the Waratahs on the eve of the new Super Rugby Pacific campaign, with Hawke’s Bay and ex-Hurricanes lock Geoff Cridge also joining the Sydney-based side for the upcoming season.
Cridge, a former New Zealand U20 representative, spent five seasons with the Hurricanes between 2015 and 2019, but only managed one appearance against the Southern Kings in 2016 as injuries plagued him throughout his time in Wellington.
However, the 26-year-old second rower impressed Coleman from afar while playing for Hawke’s Bay in New Zealand’s NPC.
“Obviously I’m massive fan of the Shute Shield and it will always be my first port of call for talent,” Coleman said.
“However, it’s been no secret that within this team we have been on the lookout to find a high-quality tight head lock, and unfortunately we were unable to find one there.
“Geoff Cridge comes to us from New Zealand where he’s performed strongly over the past two seasons with Hawke’s Bay in the NPC.
“He fits the type of player we need at the tight head lock position, bringing plenty of size and experience, and we’re excited to see him compete with the guys we have here in Jed Holloway, Max Douglas, Jeremy Williams and Hugh Sinclair.
“We’re also delighted that he’s decided to choose West Harbour as his Shute Shield club, where he will be a real asset to their rugby program.”
Cridge added that he is eager to return to Super Rugby following a string of frustrating campaigns that have denied him the chance to realise his lofty potential.
“The last two years I’ve had off I’ve had an itch to play Super Rugby, so to get another chance here at the Waratahs is something I’m definitely going to make the most of,” he said.
“There’s a good group of lads here, everyone gets around each other and stays really connected. No-one is bigger than the team and it’s a great environment to be a part of and I can’t wait for the season to start.”
Both players join the Waratahs on the back of a horror 2021 season where they went winless in both Super Rugby AU and Super Rugby Trans-Tasman.
The Waratahs will be aiming to change their fortunes this year, with their season scheduled to begin when they host the Fijian Drua at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta on February 18.
Comments on RugbyPass
Let’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny 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.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 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.
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