Seven Hawke's Bay players including six from Hastings Boys' High School have been selected in the New Zealand Secondary Schools rugby team which travels to Australia today.
Napier Boys' High School halfback Humphrey Sheild will be joined by the Hastings Boys' High School six of first five-eighth Lincoln McClutchie, who has made the side for the second consecutive year, No 8 Devan Flanders, flanker Jeriah Mua, winger Kini Naholo, prop Josiah Tavita-Metcalfe and fullback Danny Toala. Manager of the HBHS 1st XV which won the national Top Four title earlier this month, Jason Bird, said the school was proud of the six.
"They have done themselves and their families proud. Their selections are down to the hard work they have put in."
Had Bird said they were also a result of the rugby environment created at his school by the likes of himself, head coach Tafai Ioasa and former head coach Mark Ozich he wouldn't have been wrong. While Bird wasn't sure whether six players from the one school was a national record it is definitely a Hawke's Bay record and seven players from the Bay is the most the province has had in the same year.
Flanders, McClutchie and Toala will start two-year contracts with the Hawke's Bay Rugby Football Union next year. Toala was a New Zealand Barbarians Schools team rep last year.
HBHS could have had nine players but halfback Folau Fakatava, captain and prop Kianu Kereru-Symes and centre Dennon Robinson were unavailable with injuries. The New Zealand Schools team will play Fiji Schools in Sydney on Thursday, Australian Schools Barbarians in Sydney on Monday and Australia Schools in Sydney on October 7.
