Rugby: Maori step in for Junior All Blacks

The New Zealand Maori team will replace the Junior All Blacks in next year's Pacific Nations Cup rugby tournament, the New Zealand Rugby Union announced on Wednesday.

The Junior All Blacks dominated the competition in its first two years - last year and this year.

NZRU professional rugby manager Neil Sorensen said a review of the organisation's high performance strategy identified the need for a change in focus for both the Junior All Blacks and New Zealand Maori in 2008.

"The review has identified the need for New Zealand Maori to play more matches at home and by competing in the Pacific Nations Cup we will achieve this," he said

"As for the Junior All Blacks, our concern is that players selected for this team play a huge amount of rugby in the Rebel Sport Super 14 followed immediately by a further five weeks of rugby in the Pacific Nations Cup.

These players then return to their provinces to prepare for the Air New Zealand Cup. For the sake of player welfare we have decided not to assemble a Junior All Blacks team next year."

Sorensen said New Zealand were committed to the Pacific Nations Cup so the decision was made to have New Zealand Maori compete in it rather than the Churchill Cup tournament.

- NZPA