Selesitino Ravutaumada of the Warriors during the 2020 NRL 9s match between the Warriors and the Roosters. Photo / Daniel Carson / Photosport
Selesitino Ravutaumada of the Warriors during the 2020 NRL 9s match between the Warriors and the Roosters. Photo / Daniel Carson / Photosport
The 2021 Waikato rugby club season once again brings together a pool of players who have played for many representative teams, with some surprise players playing regularly or having cameo appearances.
The likes of Brendon McCullum, Carlos Spencer and Te Maire Martin headlined last year's club season in the Waikato and this year these three are once again in the mix – although Spencer has stuck to roaming the side-lines.
Plenty of former international, Super Rugby and NPC players are spread throughout the Premiership and Championship grades, as well as current Chiefs players who turn out for a different province in the Bunnings Warehouse NPC.
And of course, several Heartland rugby players also feature in the competition – predominantly King Country players for Ōtorohanga.
A range of experienced coaches head up and assist this year's squads, as well as a few player/coaches like former All Black Adam Thomson and former sevens star Declan O'Donnell.
The women's competition is also full of talent and 2021 has seen women's rugby, sevens and rugby league legend Honey Hireme-Smiler line up for her home club Putāruru.
Below is a "Waikato Men's Club Rugby XV", followed by a list of other rep players and then a "Waikato Women's Club Rugby XV".
Some of the men's players have represented the club at B level but they are just listed per club not team.
Former Warriors 9s player Selesitino Ravutaumada, is playing for Hamilton Old Boys in 2021. Photo / Alan Lee / Photosport
15. TE MAIRE MARTIN* – Ōtorohanga REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Penrith Panthers, North Queensland Cowboys, New Zealand Kiwis (all rugby league)
Former Kiwis league player Te Maire Martin (far right), playing for Ōtorohanga. Photo / Lorraine Fox
Other players/coaches of note and their representative teams: Fraser Tech – D'Angelo Leuila (Auckland), George Dyer (Waikato), Hugo Nankivell (Waikato), Liam Coombes-Fabling (Waikato), Matty Lansdown (Waikato/Māori All Blacks), Rhys Dickinson (Waikato), Valynce Te Whare (Waikato), Peni Iowane (Waikato), Sam Christie (Waikato/Western Force), Daniel Teka - Coach (Waikato), Greg Smith* - Coach (Waikato/Chiefs/Fiji)
Hamilton Marist – Leigh Bristowe (Poverty Bay), Newton Tudreu (Manawatū/Waikato), Bailyn Sullivan (Waikato/Chiefs), Josh Balme (King Country), Quade Tapsell (Poverty Bay), Jack Lam (Tasman/Waikato/Hurricanes/Samoa), Murray Driver – Coach (Waikato/Wellington/Highlanders), Leon Holden – Coach (Thames Valley)
Hamilton Old Boys – Vance Elliott (Waikato), Sam Cooper (Waikato), Jonty Rae (Northland), Dean Devcich (Marlborough), Xavier Roe (Taranaki/Waikato/Chiefs), Shaun Stevenson (Waikato/North Harbour/Chiefs/Māori All Blacks), Rob Cobb (Waikato/Chiefs), Sosaia Fale (Waikato) Aled de Malmanche* - Coach (Waikato/Chiefs/Junior All Blacks/Māori All Blacks/All Blacks)
Hautapu – Mosese Dawai (Waikato), Nico Aandewiel (Thames Valley), James Thompson (Waikato), Hamilton Burr (Waikato), Mitch Jacobson (Waikato/Chiefs/Sunwolves), Sean Hohneck – Coach (Waikato/Chiefs/Māori All Blacks)
Melville – Rameka Poihipi (Canterbury/Chiefs/Māori All Blacks), Rivez Reihana (Waikato/Northland/Chiefs), Jacob Ale (Waikato), Kylem O'Donnell (Taranaki/Waikato), Carlos Spencer* - Coach (Horowhenua- Kāpiti/Auckland/Blues/Lions/Māori All Blacks/All Blacks), Declan O'Donnell - Player/Coach (Waikato/Taranaki/Chiefs/Blues/Māori All Blacks)
Ōhaupō – Mitch Graham - Coach (Canterbury/Taranaki/Chiefs), Jordan Farrington – Coach (Whanganui)
Ōtorohanga – Ted Tauroa (Waikato/Bay of Plenty/King Country), Joe Perawiti (Waikato/King Country), Murray Iti (Waikato), Solo Korovata (King Country/Waikato/Northland), James Hemara (King Country), Evaan Reihana (King Country), Doug Clapcott (King Country), Dion Pye (King Country), Baven Brown (King Country), Josh Ostern (King Country), Jeremy Iti (King Country), Peter-Lee Ratima – Coach (King Country)
Suburbs – Gareth Williams – Coach (Thames Valley)
Taupiri – Jimmy Piesse – Coach (Thames Valley)
Te Awamutu Sports – Gordon Fullerton (Old Glory DC – Major League Rugby), Gideon Wrampling (Waikato/Chiefs), Jackson Willison - Coach (Waikato/Chiefs/Blues/Māori All Blacks)
Captaincy with a capital C. Chyna Hohepa on the charge for Kihikihi against Ōtorohanga, supported by (from left) Merania Paraone, Hannah Gay and Maria Muraahi.
5. MIA ANDERSON – University REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Northland, Waikato
Mia Anderson, Team Inferno headshots ahead of the Red Bull Ignite7. Photo / Andrew Cornaga / Photosport
11. CORTEZ TE POU – Hamilton Marist REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Hawke's Bay
Hawke's Bay Tui Cortez Te Pou celebrates her try with Sylvia Bockman (left) and Nicolette Adamson. Photo / Ian Cooper
12. RENEE HOLMES* – Hamilton Old Boys REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Hawke's Bay, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Chiefs, Black Ferns
Waikato's Renee Holmes (L) kicks the ball during the Pride vs Waikato Women's match at Westpac Stadium in Wellington, 2019. Photo / Marty Melville / Photosport
13. RINA PARAONE – Kihikihi REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: North Harbour, Waikato
Hannah Brough of Waikato eludes Lucy Jenkins of Canterbury for the try during the Semi-Final of the Farah Palmer Cup in 2017. Photo / John Davidson / Photosport
15. HONEY HIREME-SMILER* – Putāruru REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: Waikato, Black Ferns, Black Ferns Sevens, Kiwi Ferns – rugby league
