Team captures Bay's best talent

NZ REPS: Joe Johnston, centre, will captain Bay of Plenty Under 19s with Caleb Trask, far left, his vice-captain. PHOTO: FILE

Bay of Plenty Under-19 coach Mike Rogers has announced his squad following pre-season games in February, last month's Bay of Plenty Rugby Academy tour to Samoa and monitoring of players' through club rugby and a series of training sessions.

"All of the players selected have demonstrated both the commitment and talent required to compete on the national stage," Rogers said.

"It is particularly pleasing that we have players from 11 different Bay of Plenty clubs, which demonstrates a good spread of talent around our province. We are sure that the players selected are going to do Bay of Plenty proud."

BOP Under 19 side will play games against Yorkshire Under 20, Auckland Under 19 and Manawatu Under 19 before their season commences on Saturday August 19 with a home game against Counties Manukau.

Counties Manukau will be the first of three seeding games with the remaining two against Taranaki and Waikato before competing in the Jock Hobbs Memorial National Under 19 Tournament in September.

Te Puke Sports' Joe Johnston has been named as captain after impressing with his leadership skills on the tour to Samoa with another 2016 New Zealand Secondary Schools Barbarians player Kaleb Trask as vice-captain.

Bay of Plenty Under 19 squad
Forwards:
Sione Afu (Arataki), Tevita Mafileo (Tauranga Sports), Jarryd Broughton (Te Puke Sports), Champ Betham (Tauranga Sports), Liam Morrison (Te Puna), Dymond Ioane (Te Puke Sports), Cheyenne Dalley (Te Puke Sports), Raniera Whakataka (Rotoiti), Sam Bright (Rangataua), Stan Van Den Hoven (Greerton Marist), Ricky Van Der Heyden (Arataki), Matt Van Leuwen (Whakarewarewa), Iosefatu Mareko (Arataki), Joe Johnston (Te Puke Sports Captain), Ajay Mua (Tauranga Sports), Harry Lloyd-Jones (Arataki), Arthur Leveanasiga (Rangataua)
Backs:
Te Ra Whata (Rotoiti), Momo Niwa (Arataki), Keita Yamamoto (Te Puna), Keegan Rowley (Whakarewarewa), Kaleb Trask (Tauranga Sports Vice Captain), Tame Curtis (Rotoiti) Keanau Howe (Opotiki), Charlie Lawrence (Tauranga Sports), Will Ngatai (Te Puna), Nathan Rangihuna (Arataki), Rewita Biddle (Te Puna), Faasua Selau (Arataki), Oisin Clarken (Tauranga Sports), Aaron Tait (Tauranga Sports), Devin TeTai (Whakatane Marist), Steven Masters (Te Puna).