Junior All Blacks, NZ Maori teams chosen

Canterbury's Reuben Thorne was today named to captain the 26-man Junior All Blacks squad in the inaugural International Rugby Board (IRB) Pacific Islands Five Nations rugby tournament starting next month.

The tournament involves the Junior All Blacks, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Japan.

The All Blacks squad contains a mix of experienced and up-and-coming players.

Thorne is joined in the squad by other Canterbury stars Caleb Ralph, Corey Flynn and Kevin Senio.

The Junior All Blacks, who assemble in Auckland tomorrow, will once again be co-coached by Colin Cooper and Ian Foster.

Fiji and the Junior All Blacks open the competition with a match in Suva on June 3.

The Pacific Five Nations is an IRB tournament that is funded as part of a US$50 million ($79.12 million), three-year global strategic investment programme launched last August.

The aim of the programme is to increase the competitiveness of the world game and Rugby World Cup through a number of high performance, infrastructure and tournament initiatives.

Junior All Blacks squad:

John Afoa(Auckland), Sosene Anesi (Waikato), Ben Atiga (Auckland), Steven Bates (Waikato), Josh Blackie (Otago), Wyatt Crockett (Canterbury), Stephen Donald (Waikato), Tom Donnelly (Otago), Tamati Ellison (Wellington), Corey Flynn (Canterbury), Jimmy Gopperth (Wellington) Campbell Johnstone (Canterbury), Johnny Leo'o (Canterbury), Hoani MacDonald (Southland), Cameron McIntyre (Canterbury), Jamie Nutbrown (Bay of Plenty), Caleb Ralph (Canterbury) Kevin Senio (Canterbury) John Schwalger (Wellington), Niva Ta'auso (Counties Manukau), Saimone Taumoepeau (Auckland), Reuben Thorne (Canterbury, captain) Anthony Tuitavake (North Harbour), Bernie Upton (Bay of Plenty), Viliame Waqaseduadua (North Harbour), Nick Williams (North Harbour).

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Former Kiwis and National Rugby League star Tasesa Lavea is one of 13 new players named in the New Zealand Maori squad today.

The squad -- under the new coaching regime of Donny Stevenson, assisted by ex-All Blacks Jamie Joseph and Stu Forster -- play the Waratahs next Friday in Sydney before heading to the United States and Canada for the Churchill Cup tournament.

Stevenson, the former Northland coach who was assistant NZ Maori coach for the past four years, said Lavea's selection in a Maori team would come as a surprise to many people.

But his mother was a Maori from "Wanganui way".

"We've been well aware of his eligibility for sometime but this was our first opportunity to choose him," Stevenson told NZPA.

The Blues first five-eighth played league for Melbourne Storm and Manly before switching back to the 15-man code in 2004.

The 13 newcomers to the Maori squad include three members of New Zealand's Commonwealth Games sevens gold medallists -- Tanerau Latimer, Liam Messam and Cory Jane -- as well as another New Zealand sevens rep Zar Lawrence.

Exciting Otago halfback Chris Smylie, the 2005 NPC first division player of the year, will also be making his debut for the NZ Maori captained once again by Jonno Gibbes.

"Having 13 making their debut brings excitement and a challenge for us as coaches," Stevenson said.

"But we've enough of the old heads, with the likes of Greg Feek and Jonno, for there to be a good mix."

The NZ Maori fly to San Francisco next Saturday to play the United States on Wednesday June 7 and Ireland A on Saturday June 10. The teams then fly to Edmonton for the Churchill Cup play-offs on June 17.

NZ Maori squad

Neil Brew (Otago), Callum Bruce* (Otago), Greg Feek (Tasman), Ross Filipo (Wellington), Hosea Gear (Wellington), Jonno Gibbes (Waikato), Cory Jane* (Wellington), Jason Kawau* (Otago), Tanerau Latimer* (Bay of Plenty), Zar Lawrence* (North Harbour), Tasesa Lavea* (Auckland), Scott Linklater (Waikato), Joe McDonnell (Wellington), Deacon Manu (Waikato), Luke Mahoney* (Wellington), Liam Messam* (Waikato), Mike Noble* (North Harbour), Kristian Ormsby (Counties- Manukau), Shannon Paku (Wellington), Jake Paringatai (Northland), Chris Smylie* (Otago), Anthony Tahana* (Bay of Plenty), Corey Tamou* (Northland), Paul Tito (Taranaki), Pehi Te Whare* (Southland), Thomas Waldrom (Wellington).

* Denotes new cap.