Rugby: Atkins leaves Magpies for Turbos

Mark Atkins

Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby No8 Mark Atkins is leaving the nest.

Magpies head coach Craig Philpott yesterday confirmed Atkins had signed with the Manawatu Turbos for this season.

"It's Mark's fourth province in five years and I'm surprised by the move. He didn't get as many starts as he would have liked last year so I guess he's chasing more minutes. With Hugh coming through he probably felt he was better off leaving," Philpott said referring to Hurricanes wider training group member and last year's Lindisfarne College head boy, Hugh Renton.

During the 2013 ITM Cup season Atkins, 23, started in eight of the Magpies' 12 matches and took the field as a sub in another. Last year he made just one start, in the disappointing 29-3 round robin loss to Manawatu, when captain Brendon O'Connor was a late withdrawal through injury.

Highlanders loosie Gareth Evans and Blues loosie O'Connor both reduced Atkins' game time to occasional stints off the pine when he wasn't on Hawke's Bay Saracens duty. Evans and O'Connor are both expected to share the bulk of the load again this year and depending on circumstances and his progress in club play and while training with the Canes, Renton, a son of former Magpie Paul Renton, could make his first class debut.

A son of former Canterbury No8 Dale Atkins, Atkins, arrived in the Bay in 2013 after representing Otago at under-19 and colts levels and Taranaki in sevens.

He was the hat-trick hero when Taranaki beat North Harbour 32-17 in the 2013 New Zealand Sevens final in Queenstown.

Atkins was unable to be contacted yesterday. He joins Crusaders-bound hooker Ged Robinson and Canadian prop Jason Marshall as the only members of last year's Magpies squad who won't be available for the team this year.