2022 OTAGO SQUAD ANNOUNCED FOR BUNNINGS NPC

Otago Rugby Football Union is proud to announce the 2022 Otago Squad for the Bunnings Warehouse NPC.

Otago Head Coach Tom Donnelly said, “It’s re-assuring to have consistency amongst our squad this year with a large majority of players returning from past seasons. It makes the pre-season process that much smoother when the guys are comfortable with each other, the coaching staff and the environment. We are also excited to introduce 5 new players into the mix. It’s awesome to reward those who have proven themselves worthy of selection over the 2022 club rugby season. We are looking forward to giving some of these new names a run in the preseason fixtures but also welcome back those from national duties.”

Young halfback Nathan Hastie has recently had shoulder surgery and is out for the season. Freshly signed halfback James Arscott will be joined by experienced former Wellington Lions and NZ Under 20s player Kemara Hauiti-Parapara and well-seasoned Otago University halfback Kieran McClea.

Local players Oliver Haig and Rohan Wingham are assembling for pre-season to cover players who are away on national duties and players who are returning from injury.

James Lentjes has once again been named as captain of the team for 2022.

The team went full time on Monday 11th July, and will be heading up to Cromwell on Tuesday 12th July for an open NPC training that is welcome to kids of all ages to attend at Andersons Park, 2:30pm-3:30pm. There will also be some NPC players attending the Highlanders & Otago Rugby Development Day for U16, U18 Boys & Girls between 10:00am-3:00pm.

Otago will play two preseason fixtures. One against Southland at Rugby Park in Invercargill on Friday 22nd July at 2:05pm. The second preseason game is against Canterbury on Friday 29th July at Whitestone Cheese Contracting Stadium in Oamaru at 3:05pm.

SQUAD HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 27 are returning players from past seasons.
  • 5 have been named in the Otago squad for the first time.
  • 15 attended secondary schools within Otago region.
  • 18 have progressed through the Otago Academy Programme over the years.
  • 5 players were named in the 2022 NZ Under 20s side.
  • 23 have had Super Rugby involvement in 2022.

 

The Bunnings Warehouse NPC is set to begin the weekend of Saturday 6th August. Our Otago team play their first away game against Counties Manukau at Navigation Homes Stadium in Pukekohe on Saturday 6th August at 2:05pm. To view the full 2022 NPC draw click here.

 

2022 OTAGO NPC SQUAD

FIRST NAME

LAST NAME

CLUB

POSITION

JERMAINE

AINSLEY

ALHAMBRA-UNION

PROP

JAMES

ARSCOTT

GREEN ISLAND

INSIDE BACK

HENRY

BELL

KAIKORAI

HOOKER

GEORGE

BOWER

HARBOUR

PROP

JOSH

DICKSON

UNIVERSITY

LOCK

SAM

FISCHLI

TAIERI

LOOSE FORWARD

SAM

GILBERT

GREEN ISLAND

OUTSIDE BACK

NATHAN

HASTIE

HARBOUR

INSIDE BACK

KEMARA

HAUITI-PARAPARA*

ZINGARI-RICHMOND

INSIDE BACK

JOSHUA

HILL

TAIERI

LOCK

JOSH

HOHNECK

EASTERN

PROP

FABIAN

HOLLAND

DUNEDIN

LOCK

JOSH

IOANE

SOUTHERN

INSIDE BACK

RICKY

JACKSON

UNIVERSITY

HOOKER

TAU

KOLOAMATANGI

ALHAMBRA-UNION

PROP

VILIMONI

KOROI

ALHAMBRA-UNION

OUTISDE BACK

JAMES

LENTJES ©

TAIERI

LOOSE FORWARD

CHRISTIAN

LIO-WILLIE

KAIKORAI

LOOSE FORWARD

SAULA

MA'U

HARBOUR

PROP

KIERAN

MCCLEA*

UNIVERSITY

INSIDE BACK

CAMERON

MILLAR

TAIERI

INSIDE BACK

JONA

NAREKI

ALHAMBRA-UNION

OUTISDE BACK

RAYMOND

NU'U

GREEN ISLAND

MIDFIELD

ABRAHAM

POLE

HARBOUR

PROP

BRADY

ROBERTSON*

TAIERI

HOOKER

RUPENI

TAMANI*

OTAGO

LOOSE FORWARD

JAKE

TE HIWI*

GREEN ISLAND

MIDFIELD

JOSH

TIMU

UNIVERSITY

MIDFIELD

WILL

TUCKER

KAIKORAI

LOCK

THOMAS

UMAGA-JENSEN

UNIVERSITY

MIDFIELD

FREEDOM

VAHAAKOLO

HARBOUR

OUTISDE BACK

SEAN

WITHY

UNIVERSITY

LOOSE FORWARD

 

*POTENTIAL DEBUT   

 

DEVELOPMENT PLAYERS

JEREMIAH

ASI

UNIVERSITY

OUTSIDE BACK

AJAY

FALEAFAGA

DUNEDIN

INSIDE BACK

OLIVER

HAIG

GREEN ISLAND

LOOSE FORWARD

FINN

HURLEY

GREEN ISLAND

OUTISDE BACK

WILL

STODART

UNIVERSITY

LOOSE FORWARD

ROHAN

WINGHAM

DUNEDIN

PROP

 

Season ending injury Nathan Hastie (Harbour).

 

2022 COACHING STAFF

Head Coach:                                     Tom Donnelly

Assistant Coaches:                         Ryan Bambry, Riki Flutey & Jamie Mackintosh

S & C Coaches:                                 Ian Blake & Ed Lea

Physio:                                              Thomas Wardhaugh

Manager:                                          Simon Wallace

Assistant Manager:                         Hayden Finch

Doctor:                                              Andrew Haren

Nutritionist:                                      Hanna Zouggari

Player Development Manager:        Amanda Slade

Performance Analyst:                     Spencer Byers


Article added: Tuesday 12 July 2022

 

Latest News