Rotorua Boys' High School's Tome Poona is one of seven players from his side selected for the Chiefs Under-18 Development Camp. Photo / Supplied
Rotorua Boys' High School's Tome Poona is one of seven players from his side selected for the Chiefs Under-18 Development Camp. Photo / Supplied
Talented young rugby players have been selected from across Chiefs country to attend a training camp.
The University of Waikato Chiefs Region Under-18 Development Camp will run from October 11 to 14 at St Paul's Collegiate School in Hamilton.
Included in those selected are Rotorua Boys' High School players Bless Perese-Elliott, Brooke Mitchell, Jericho Yorke, Taine Kolose, Tamiro Armstrong, Te Hamana Te Aute, and Tome Poona.
The camp is a key event in the pathway for local players to make the step into professional rugby in the future.
There will be a large focus on skill development and Chiefs culture, before playing two matches against the Hurricanes U18 in Turangi on October 15.
The camp has a proud history of featuring well-known Chiefs and All Blacks including All Blacks captain Sam Cane, Luke Jacobson, Tupou Vaa'i, Quinn Tupaea and Samisoni Taukei'aho.
Bless Perese-Elliott lines up a kick for Rotorua Boys' High School. Photo / Supplied
Chiefs player ID and talent development manager Kent Currie is excited to have a plethora of young talent attending this year's camp.
"We are excited by the group of players that we have selected – including the standby players," he said.
"We have a number of first XV teams performing very well on the national stage at present, which is a credit to the quality coaching and preparation throughout our region."
Jericho Yorke breaks a tackle. Photo / Supplied
Currie said this year's camp would be unique in the fact club players have been invited to attend.
"I would like to congratulate the selected players. They have displayed quality skill sets, fitness levels, and work ethic during their respective first XV and club seasons.
"This will be the first time we have selected U18 club players to attend our camp. This is to provide an opportunity for those players within our rugby landscape that missed selection last year as an U17 Year 13 player and who could potentially fall through the cracks."
The following players have been selected to attend the Chiefs Region Under 18 Development Camp, proudly sponsored by the University of Waikato:
Aki Tulivailala (Hamilton Boys' High School) Amilame Finau (St John's College) Anaru Paenga Morgan (St Paul's Collegiate) Andrew Smith (St Peter's School, Cambridge) Austin Anderson (Hamilton Boys' High School) Bless Perese - Elliot (Rotorua Boys' High School) Brodie Robinson (Hamilton Boys' High School) Brooke Mitchell (Rotorua Boys' High School) Che Potaka (New Plymouth Boys' High School) Cody Nordstrom (Te Awamutu Sports RFC) Cody Vai (St Peter's School, Cambridge) Cohen Brady-Leathem (Pukekohe High School) Dawson Smith (St Peter's School, Cambridge) Finlay Davenport (Mount Maunganui RFC) Gabe Robinson (Hamilton Boys' High School) George Reeves (Hamilton Boys High School) Grady Forbes (Tauranga Boys College) Jack Harding (St Andrews College, Waikato) Jacob Mitchell (New Plymouth Boys' High School) Jae Broomfield (St Paul's Collegiate) Jai Knight (Mount Maunganui High School) Jericho Yorke (Rotorua Boys' High School) Jonty Short (St Peter's School, Cambridge) Josh Penney (Auckland Grammar School, Counties) Kaleb Saxon (Hamilton Boys' High School) Keran Van Staden (Hamilton Boys' High School) Lenzs Morunga (Manurewa High School) Liukhane De-Thierry Rhind (Pukekohe High School) Malachi Wrampling (St Paul's Collegiate) Manase Mouhanga (Te Awamutu Sports RFC) Marley Murphy (Hamilton Boys' High School) Moses McGoon (Hamilton Boys' High School) Ollie Robinson (St Peter's School, Cambridge) Patrick Howlett (New Plymouth Boys' High School) Perry Laurence (New Plymouth Boys' High School/Old Boys) Peter Te Kahu (New Plymouth Boys'' High School) Peyton Spencer (Hamilton Boys' High School) Reuben Palmer (Tauranga Boys' College) Ruban Chisolm (Te Teko RFC/Whakatane High School) Ryan Michie (Rosehill College) Sean Ralph (Hamilton Boys' High School) Taeo Pomale-Time (Manurewa High School) Taha Kemara (Hamilton Boys' High School) Tai Cribb (Hamilton Boys' High School) Taine Kolosi (Rotorua Boys' High School) Tamiro Armstrong (Rotorua Boys' High School) Te Hamana Te Aute (Rotorua Boys' High School) Tiernan Sanders (St John's College) Toby Taylor (Tauranga Boys' College) Tom Poona (Rotorua Boys' High School) Tyler McNutt (Hautapu RFC) Zac Macdonald (New Plymouth Boys' High School) Zinzan Hansen (University of Waikato RFC)
The following players have been selected as standby players:
Adrian Wharawhara (St John's College) Blake Christie (Francis Douglas Memorial College) Callum Tito (New Plymouth Boys' High School) Cole McClure (Hamilton Boys' High School) Joshua Keech (Francis Douglas Memorial College) Junior Tolutau (Wesley College) Kash Farmer (St Peter's School, Cambridge) Oli Mathis (Hamilton Boys' High School) Patrick Hedley (Te Kuiti High School) Piripi Tapsell (Tauranga Boys' College) Samuela Vakadula (New Plymouth Boys' High School) Siri Rova (New Plymouth Boys' High School) Sloane Lankshear (Tauranga Boys' College) Thomas Cane (St Paul's Collegiate) Will Martin (Hamilton Boys' High School)
