Reed Prinsep leads out the Hurricanes in their pre-season game against the Crusaders at Levin Domain in 2019. Photo / Darryl Butler
Reed Prinsep leads out the Hurricanes in their pre-season game against the Crusaders at Levin Domain in 2019. Photo / Darryl Butler
There’s a strong homegrown flavour to the match between Hurricanes and Crusaders at Levin Domain this time next week.
Aside from providing local fans with a spectacle seldom seen in these parts, there is a deep connection to the province running through both teams.
Arguably the two best hookers in world rugby - Dane Coles and Cody Taylor - play for the Hurricanes and Crusaders respectively and both men have made no secret of their Horowhenua-Kāpiti roots throughout their All Black careers.
Hurricanes prop Tyrel Lomax has strong whānau ties to Horowhenua, too. His grandfather John Lomax snr and late grandmother Maria lived in Levin and their All Black grandson would visit often and mow the lawns.
Lomax played a golf tournament held at Moutere Links just last month in memory of his grandmother, joining a large group that included his father and famous rugby league-playing uncles, and former All Black Piri Weepu.
While Lomax, 26, Coles, 36, and Taylor, 31, have legions of fans and hundreds of All Blacks test caps and Super Rugby games between them, the biggest cheer could be for the homecoming of Hurricanes prop Pasilio Tosi, 24.
Pasilio Tosi.
Tosi played all his junior rugby in Levin. He also played for Horowhenua College before moving to Rotorua Boys High School for his senior schooling playing, and has many family and friends living in Levin.
He said he couldn’t wait to run out on to Levin Domain next week, a ground he had played on countless times. As a youngster he watched the Hurricanes play the Crusaders in a pre-season match at Levin Domain in 2013.
“It was huge. There was a big crowd and I was there with heaps of my mates. TJ Perenara was just starting out back then,” he said.
Aleni Feagaiga.
Horowhenua-Kāpiti coach Aleni Feagaiga said he remembers coaching Tosi in the province’s under-16 team that same year. Tosi was just 14 at the time and played winger. Now, he weighs 136kg and plays in the front row.
Tosi initially played for Southland Stags for two seasons at number eight, but transitioned to prop after moving to Bay of Plenty in 2021 on emerging from the first Covid-19 lockdown.
“I had packed on quite a few kilograms. But the lockdown seems to have worked in my favour. At my weight it was hard to get lifted at number eight and now I’m doing what I love, scrummaging and carrying the ball,” he said.
The tight-head prop said he was fortunate to have the likes of Lomax and former All Black Owen Franks to learn from at the Hurricanes.
“I feel they have been crucial to my development,” he said.
Hurricanes prop Tyrel Lomax. Photo / Photosport
“You don’t really know the work that goes on until you are thrown in the deep end. It made my respect go higher. You’ve got two packs weighing more than 900kg going both ways so technique is huge.”
It was playing for BOP against Wellington in 2021 that Tosi gained the attention of Hurricanes and was offered a fulltime contract, making his Super Rugby debut last season with four appearances.
Meanwhile, the Horowhenua-Kāpiti connection for the Levin match doesn’t end there. Hurricanes first five-eight Ruben Love grew up in Waikanae, while loose forward Brayden Iose played some junior rugby in Paraparaumu.
It’s also a homecoming of sorts for Crusaders manager Shane Fletcher. Yes, that Shane Fletcher, formerly of Shannon, who along with brother Willie was part of the immortal Horowhenua team that won the 1993 NPC Third Division championship against Whanganui at Spriggens Park.
Fletcher has been Crusaders manager since 2016. He played a total of 43 games for Horowhenua, and also 15 games for West Coast.
While the squads wouldn’t be finalised until later next week, both Crusaders coach Scott Robertson and Hurricanes coach Jason Holland would be bringing enough players to probably make up two teams ahead of the competition proper starting later this month.
Just whether current All Blacks in either squad get much game time - or at all - in what is a World Cup year remains to be seen, but local fans will be hopeful. Then again, there’s a heap of big-name players in either squad.
Crusaders have the likes of Scott Barrett, Ethan Blackadder, George Bower, Tom Christie, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Jack Goodhue, David Havili, Will Jordan, Richie Mo’unga, Joe Moody, Sevu Reece and Sam Whitelock, the Hurricanes boasting Asafo Aumua, Jordie Barrett, Owen Franks, Du’plessis Kirifi, TJ Perenara, Ardie Savea, Julian Savea, Bailyn Sullivan and Peter Umaga-Jensen.
TJ Perenara with young fans at Levin Domain in 2019. Photo / Darryl Butler
A huge crowd was expected again at Levin Domain. There were more than 5000 people the last time a Super Rugby pre-season match was held at the ground, between Hurricanes and Chiefs in 2019.
The ground next week should present in pristine condition. There hasn’t been a foot set on it since the Heartland semifinal between Horowhenua-Kapiti and East Coast in October last year.
A crowd of 5000 turned up to watch the Hurricanes the last time they played at Levin Domain in 2019.
HKRU CEO Corey Kennett said while there was no financial profit for the local union in hosting the match, the reward was in boosting the profile of rugby in the region and giving fans the chance to see world-class players in action.
In a coup for HKRU, just eight days later at the same ground is a Super Rugby Aupiki match between Hurricanes Poua and Chiefs Manawa, a match that also promises to draw a large crowd given the exponential growth in popularity of women’s rugby.
Horowhenua District Council has issued a public notice that a section of Salisbury St between Bath St and the Levin Mall carpark entrance will temporarily close to vehicles between 3.15pm and 7.30pm on the night of the game.
The Mall carpark will be open and vehicles will be able to enter via the usual Salisbury St and Queen St West entrances.
“The closures will make it safer for pedestrians to cross the road to enter the Levin Domain for the games and allow space for food trucks to be present outside the events,” the notice said.
The Hurricanes season starts on February 25 against Queensland Reds in Brisbane, while there are home games at Palmerston North (April 2) and Wellington (March 11, March 17, April 15, April 28, May 13, June 3).
