Former All Blacks Mark Cooksley, Ofisa (Junior) Tonu'u, Richard Turner, Blair Larsen, Matthew Cooper, Dallas Seymour and Lee Stensness are in the Hawke's Bay Selection team for the Jarrod Cunningham benefit rugby match in Napier on Sunday.
Several other high profile players have accepted invitations to play at McLean Park.
Cunningham, who was diagnosed with ALS, a form of motor neuron disease, has been overwhelmed with the support.
Larsen has returned from a playing stint overseas and hopes to make the North Harbour NPC side later this year.
Also included in the squad is Otago Highlanders' Danny Lee.
The other invitational side will be named early this week but key figures already in the side are Zinzan and Robin Brooke, Inga Tuigamala, Jamie Joseph, Graeme and Stephen Bachop, Norman Berryman, Norm Hewitt and Mark Allen.
Hastings High School pupil Hika Elliott, who seeme to have a bright future in the game, is in the team.
A dinner/auction will be held at the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds on Saturday.
The charity auction includes gear from Tiger Woods, Michael Campbell, Stacey Jones and Sir Edmund Hillary.
Hawke's Bay Selection: Greg Halford (Hawke's Bay, Canterbury, Central Vikings), Hika Elliot (Hastings Boys High School), Orcades Crawford (Hawke's Bay, New Zealand Maori, Central Vikings), Steve Gordon (Waikato, All Blacks), Mark Cooksley (Waikato, All Blacks), Dustin Watts (Hawke's Bay), Dallas Seymour (Canterbury, Hawke's Bay, Wellington, All Blacks, New Zealand Sevens), Richard Turner (North Harbour, All Blacks), Ofisa (Junior) Tonu'u (Wellington, Auckland, All Blacks ), Lee Stensness (Auckland, All Blacks), Paul Cooke (Otago), Matt Cooper (Hawke's Bay, Waikato, All Blacks), Murdoch Paewai (Hawke's Bay, New Zealand Maori, Central Vikings), Tony Maidens (Hawke's Bay, Central Vikings), Aaron Hamilton (Hawke's Bay, New Zealand Sevens), Danny Lee (Hawke's Bay, Highlanders, All Blacks, Waikato), Michael Scott (Auckland), Manu Flutey (Hawke's Bay, East Coast), Tu Nu'uilitia (Samoa, Auckland), Alan Gardiner (Hawke's Bay), Terrance Taylor (Hawke's Bay), Craig Brownlie (Hawke's Bay). Coaches: Hepa Paewai and Brenton Dooney. Managers: Jeff Karika and Jason Whaitiri.
- NZPA
Rugby: Ex-All Blacks feature in Cunningham match
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.