Manawatū Rugby is proud to announce the Turbos squad for the 2024 Bunnings Warehouse NPC.

The squad includes a core of players returning from last year as well as twelve new faces.

New players who have been selected after standout seasons in the Manawatū club rugby competition include hooker Sase Va'a, halfback Logan Love (both Kia Toa), prop Misinale Epenisa, first five-eighth Rihari Jobe (both College Old Boys), and midfield back Caleb Leef (Feilding Yellows).

Va’a is a graduate of the Manawatū Rugby Academy and the brother of Turbos wing Pena Va’a.

Love was the top point scorer in club rugby, followed by Jobe. Love is an old boy of Palmerston North Boys’ High School, and the younger brother of Hurricane’s first-five Ruben Love and the son of former Manawatū player Matene Love.

Experienced players recuited from overseas teams include George Blake (Queensland Reds), lock Lachlan Shaw (ACT Brumbies), wing Ataata Moeakiola (Kobe Kobelco Steelers), and fullback Reece MacDonald (New England Free Jacks)

New Zealand Under 20 and academy players Mosese Bason and Sam Coles are also new additions to the squad.

Loose forward Tyler Laubscher and lock Micaiah Torrance-Read return after missing last season due to injury.

Lock Ofa Tauatevalu and academy prop Logan Wallace are part of the squad but will be out of action for the season due to injury. Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula will have limited availability due to his international commitments with Fiji.

Manawatū Turbos Head Coach Mike Rogers says he is really excited about the make up of the squad.

“The make up of the squad is a really good mix of young and exciting players, a group of more experienced players and a much larger group of returning Super Rugby players this year compared to 2023.

“As we head into the 2024 season I feel a sense of excitement and pressure. I took on this job as I really wanted to be impactful and make a difference to rugby in Manawatū.  I can see a lot of that work is starting to shift the needle in terms of the talent and depth in our squad and now it comes time for us to demonstrate that on the field.  

“Our focus over preseason is the installation of a new attacking model under our Attack Coach Robbie Robinson, an evolution to our defensive system, and the build out of a team culture focused on competing every day.  There is always pressure for our group as we know that the team has underperformed for a long time and we need to own that, improve, and earn the respect of our supporters and stakeholders. We embrace that pressure and look forward to the challenge.”

Turbos 2024 Squad:

Props
Joe Gavigan
Malakai Hala-Ngatai
George Blake
Flyn Yates
Feleti Sae Ta'ufo'ou
Misinale Epenisa
Logan Wallace

Hookers
Raymond Tuputupu
Vernon Bason
Sase Va'a

Locks
Josh Taula
Stan van den Hoven
Micaiah Torrance-Read
Johan Momsen
Lachlan Shaw
Ofa Tauatevalu*

Loose Forwards
TK Howden
Tyler Laubscher
Mosese Bason
Slade McDowall
Elyjah Crosswell
Brayden Iose
Julian Goerke

Halfbacks
Jordi Viljoen
Luke Campbell
Logan Love

First Five-Eighths
Brett Cameron
Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula
Rihari Jobe

Midfield
James Tofa
Jason Emery
Kyle Brown
Caleb Leef

Wings
Ataata Moeakiola
Pena Va'a
Sam Coles
Taniela Filimone

Fullback
Drew Wild
Reece MacDonald

See the Turbos draw for the Bunnings Warehouse NPC here.

Article added: Tuesday 23 July 2024