Melbourne Rising name extended training squad

The Melbourne Rising have named an extended training squad of local talent ahead of the 2017 National Rugby Championship (NRC), which kicks off next month.

Rising head coach Zane Hilton has unveiled a 46-player training squad from the local premier club competition to trial for Melbourne Rising.

Seven members of the extended squad have NRC experience, including Isiah Leota (Footscray), Keisuke Yadama (Footscray), Lloyd Johansson (Harlequin) and Sione Taufa (Harlequin), who were all part of last year’s Rising squad that became the league’s first team to qualify for all three finals series.

Prior to the Melbourne Rebels, and underpinning Melbourne Rising program, the Axemen provided local players with a pathway via the former Australian Rugby Shield, which included a championship in 2007.


The Melbourne Rising need to finalise its squad for the 2017 National Rugby Championship by Monday 14 August.

The Melbourne Rising will kick-off their 2017 campaign in the west against the Perth Spirit on Sunday 3 September before they return home to host competition newcomers Fiji at Harlequin Oval on Saturday 9 September.