Kaleb Trask, left, and Tevita Mafileo are excited about playing for NZ under-20s in Australia this month. Photo / Andrew Warner
Kaleb Trask, left, and Tevita Mafileo are excited about playing for NZ under-20s in Australia this month. Photo / Andrew Warner
The selection of the New Zealand under-20 squad for next month's Oceania Rugby Championship in Australia is a double delight for Bay of Plenty Rugby.
Kaleb Trask and Tevita Mafileo are the first Bay players since Aidan Ross in 2015 to make the grade and barring injury should be selected for the World Rugby Under-20 Championship in France in May.
Trask made his mark at Rotorua Boys' High School while Mafileo went to Auckland's St Kentigern and Mangere colleges.
First-five Trask, 19, and tighthead prop Mafileo, 20, made the NZ Barbarian Schools together in 2016 and have both impressed playing for Tauranga Sports and Bay of Plenty under-19s over the past two seasons.
"It has always been a goal. I am pretty excited about it. It is a big stepping stone to try to make a Super Rugby side," Trask said.
"We had two training camps. One was late last year and was a build-up for the next camp [last month] where we did a lot more game specific stuff and played a game at the end."
The prodigious goal kicker and tactically smart player was not selected for Mitre 10 Cup rugby last season which he says was a good thing.
"I am only just starting off and can't rush the process I suppose. I am pretty happy with how it is going."
For Mafileo making the NZ under-20s is what he has dreamed of.
"It is a big honour to be named in the team, and probably the next step is to pull on the jersey and own the rights to it on the field."
Bay of Plenty rugby fans can rightly claim Wellington halfback Carlos Price who has also made the team.
Carlos Price in action for NZ Schools against Australia. Photo / Photosport
Price grew up in the Western Bay, attending St Thomas More Primary School, Aquinas College and then a year in the Tauranga Boys' College First XV before he was tempted north to St Kentigern College, where he played with Mafileo.
"It was a big decision at the time to go to St Kent's. Tauranga Boys' was an awesome school, and I was doing really well with my academics there, but it was too good an opportunity to pass up. It was good for the experience going up to Auckland and playing in front of some big crowds," Price said.
"Tevita and I played together in my last year at St Kent's, and we actually roomed together in the boarding house. I am stoked he has made the team. I just can't wait for him to show what he is capable of."
Mafileo is one of several players to star in Auckland's 1A First XV competition who have signed with Bay of Plenty Rugby in the past two seasons.
"I came down for a training session with the Mitre 10 coach [Clayton McMillan], and I thought I wanted to be here, I wanted to be part of the culture. I also wanted to be in the Chiefs region as well," he said.
"It is a really good environment here, really good gym and good coaches."
