Te Awamutu Sports first five-eighths Taha Kemara has been named in the Waikato NPC squad for 2022. Photo / Jesse Wood
Te Awamutu Sports first five-eighths Taha Kemara has been named in the Waikato NPC squad for 2022. Photo / Jesse Wood
Te Awamutu Sports' Taha Kemara and Gideon Wrampling have been selected in Waikato Rugby's initial 38-man Bunnings Warehouse National Provincial Championship (NPC) squad for the upcoming 2022 season.
Ayden Johnstone returns as one of the co-captains from 2021 but this season he is joined in that leadership role by experienced openside flanker, Te Awamutu-born Mitch Jacobson who will add to his 62 Waikato caps this season.
The bulk of the 2021 squad has returned in 2022, with 35 of the 38 players returning for this season.
There are three players who have a chance to make their Waikato debut this season.
These players are Te Awamutu Sports inside back Kemara, Hamilton Old Boys prop Solomone Tukuafu and Samoan powerhouse utility back Alapati Leiua, who returns from Europe after eight seasons with the Wasps (20 appearances) and Bristol Bears (31). He has also made 26 appearances for Samoa since 2013.
Waikato player Gideon Wrampling celebrates his try against Tasman in 2021. Photo / Photosport
This season's squad features two current All Blacks, 24 Super Rugby players and two current Samoan Internationals.
This season could see nine players reach playing milestones.
Liam Messam currently has 99 Waikato caps and has a chance to become Waikato's newest centurion. While Sefo Kautai (46), Bailyn Sullivan (45) and Jack Lam (42) all have a chance of reaching their 50 games milestone for the province.
There are five players who are in line to receive their 18th game blazer this season, these players are Xavier Roe (17), Mosese Dawai (15), George Dyer (12), D'Angelo Leuila (11) and Simon Parker (11).
"We are again pleased to name a squad that is made up predominately of players from the 2021 season. We are extremely proud that we were able to achieve a Premiership title in the extreme circumstances we were under, but this year is another season, so we are to resetting and do it all again," said Waikato head coach Ross Filipo.
"We as a coaching group once again were looking for players with great character and are hard-working men that will strive to make this province proud once more and continue to build on our successes from last season."
Waikato's 2022 Bunnings Warehouse NPC campaign begins on Saturday, August 6 against the Hawke's Bay Magpies at FMG Stadium Waikato as game three of a triple-header at the stadium.
The day will kick off with a preseason hit out between Thames Valley Swampfoxes and New Zealand Harlequins, kick-off 11.35am, followed by Waitomo Group: Waikato FPC hosting Bay of Plenty Volcanix in week four of the Farah Palmer Cup as well as a Chiefs Country Cup clash, kick-off 2.05pm, with the Bunnings NPC match scheduled for 4.35pm.
2022 Waikato Bunnings Warehouse National Provincial Championship squad - () = caps for Waikato, * = uncapped for Waikato: Hamilton Burr (29) Hautapu Rob Cobb (21) Hamilton Old Boys Tepaea Cook-Savage (7) Fraser Tech Liam Coombes-Fabling (22) Fraser Tech Sam Cooper (10) Hamilton Old Boys Mosese Dawai (15) Hautapu Rhys Dickinson (5) Fraser Tech George Dyer (12) Fraser Tech Samipeni Finau (22) Hamilton Old Boys Luke Jacobson (22) Hautapu Mitch Jacobson (62) Hautapu – Co-Captain Ayden Johnstone (33) Hautapu – Co-Captain Sefo Kautai (46) Hamilton Marist Taha Kemara (*) Te Awamutu Sports Jack Lam (42) Hamilton Marist Alapati Leiua (*) D'Angelo Leuila (11) Fraser Tech Anton Lienert-Brown (21) University Tom Martin (4) Rhys Marshall (4) Damian McKenzie (26) University Laghlan McWhannell (22) Hautapu Steven Misa (28) Hamilton Marist Liam Messam (99) Hautapu Ollie Norris (31) Hautapu Simon Parker (11) Hautapu Cortez Ratima (21) Ōtorohanga Te Rama Reuben (1) University Xavier Roe (17) Hamilton Old Boys Daniel Sinkinson (1) Melville Bailyn Sullivan (45) Hamilton Marist Samisoni Taukei'aho (44) Fraser Tech James Thompson (20) Hautapu Ryan Tongia (5) James Tucker (53) Hamilton Marist Solomone Tukuafu (*) Hamilton Old Boys Quinn Tupaea (32) Hamilton Old Boys Gideon Wrampling (18) Te Awamutu Sports
