Two up-and-coming rugby players from the Horowhenua-Kāpiti catchment are part of the Hurricanes Under-20 development squad for this year.
Forty-four players are part of the squad and come from Whanganui, Manawatu, Hawke’s Bay, Poverty Bay, Wairarapa Bush, Wellington and Horowhenua-Kāpiti rugby strongholds.
The duo from Horowhenua-Kāpiti are Max Hosking and Darren Falaniko.
Hosking, 19, the former head boy from Kāpiti College, was surprised but delighted to make the squad.
“I had done a lot of work to get to that position but I know it’s a highly sought-after place to be for a lot of rugby players.
“It’s very exciting and I’m ready to take it with both hands and give it my best shot.
“I think it will be a big learning experience and I will be trying to push on to the final squad which will be competing in the Super Rugby under-20s tournament.”
Hosking, a winger/fullback, started playing rugby at the Paraparaumu Rugby Club as a junior then went to Kāpiti College where played as a weight grade player [under 55kg and under 65kg], had a break in Year 12 as he wanted to work and earn some money, before returning to college in Year 13 and played in the college’s First XV.
Last year he returned to the club playing for its B as well as A side.
Long-term Hosking wanted to “go as far as I can, learn as much as I can, and hopefully in the end make a bit of money playing rugby”.
Falaniko was delighted to be picked for the squad for a second time.
Darren Falaniko.
“I was very happy, especially the way I worked hard for it.
“I told my parents and they were happy too.”
Falaniko started playing rugby in the junior grades for Waikanae Rugby Club before playing for Paraparaumu College which he captained in his last year.
After college he played for the Paraparaumu Rugby Club premiers.
“During that year we won the cup.”
Since then he played a few games for Horowhenua-Kāpiti, made the Hurricanes Under-18s, before selection in the under-20s development squad, and then some more game time for Horowhenua-Kāpiti.
Falaniko, who has just turned 20, prefers playing midfield or wing.
“Mostly midfield because I like the ball to come to me early so I can do my thing.”
Hurricanes Under-20 development squad coach Darren Larsen said Hosking had “express pace, which is real bonus, and his attitude towards getting to the next level was very obvious”.
Falaniko had “the X-factor and the ability beat a man on the outside. He shows a lot of promise in his attacking flair”.
The squad assembles this weekend at Upper Hutt’s New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport.
Larsen said the camp was about setting standards and opportunities for the players to go away with to their own provincial unions.
Squad members would go on loan to Manawatu, Hawke’s Bay or Wellington clubs to play academy games against each other.
The academy games are the pathway to selection for the Hurricanes under-20s, which will see the squad halved, before various games, and then three Super Rugby under-20 games in March.
Squad members had also been given specific training programmes to work on by themselves.
