New Zealand Super Rugby sides confirm 2018 squads
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New and experienced talent set to light up 2018 Super Rugby season.
Familiar names with unfamiliar faces, 42 new recruits, nine sets of brothers including two twins are included in the 2018 Super Rugby squads named by their clubs today.
A total 190 professional players have been signed for the new season – 38 for each of the New Zealand Super Rugby clubs – the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders.
There are nine sets of siblings – the Barretts, Beauden and Jordie (Hurricanes), and Scott (Crusaders); Rieko and Akira Ioane (Blues), Anton (Chiefs) and Daniel (Highlanders) Lienert-Brown; Damian and Marty McKenzie (Chiefs), Dan (Highlanders) and Kara (Blues) Pryor, Ardie and Julian Savea (Hurricanes), Sam (Crusaders) and Luke (Highlanders) Whitelock and twins Peter (Hurricanes) and Thomas (Highlanders) Umaga-Jensen and Jack (Crusaders) and Josh (Blues) Goodhue.
Thirteen of those named today were part of the World Champion winning New Zealand Under 20 side – Dalton Papalii, Stephen Perofeta, Caleb Clarke and Tamati Tua (Blues), Tiaan Falcon and Luke Jacobson (Chiefs), Alex Fidow, Asafo Aumua and Isaia Walker-Leawere (Hurricanes), Braydon Ennor and Will Jordan (Crusaders) and Thomas Umaga-Jensen and Josh McKay (Highlanders).
Among some of the unfamiliar faces, are some names very familiar to New Zealand rugby – the more well-known of them being Blues brothers Akira and Rieko Ioane, sons of former Black Fern Sandra Wihongi, Caleb Clarke (son of All Blacks Eroni Clarke) has been picked up by the Blues, Jackson Garden-Bachop (son of All Black Stephen Bachop) who has been picked by the Hurricanes after an outstanding Mitre 10 Cup season, Bryn Gatland (son of Wales and British & Irish Lions Coach Warren) returns to the Blues, while Ethan Blackadder, who has been plying his trade with solid season at the Tasman Makos, has been signed by the Crusaders, the team his father Todd, had previously coached. Pari Pari Parkinson, nephew of Maori All Black and Bay of Plenty legend Matua Parkinson, is a new signing for the competition and the Highlanders.
Caleb Clarke gets another mention in the record books – at 18 he will enter the 2018 season as the youngest contracted player, with Tasman stalwart and captain, Alex Ainley returning for another season with the Highlanders, and who at 36, is at the other end of the birthday list. Another seasoned veteran - Mike Delany, who last played Super Rugby in 2011 for the Chiefs, has come back from a stint overseas to play a critical role for Bay of Plenty in this year's Mitre 10 Cup, and earning himself a seat at the Crusaders' table.
There are 42 new players included in between the 5 New Zealand Super Rugby squads. The Blues have signed eight rookies, the Chiefs and Hurricanes, 10 each, the Crusaders, five, and the Highlanders nine new players.
Crusaders
FORWARDS BACKS
Michael Alaalatoa Tim Bateman
Scott Barrett George Bridge
Ethan Blackadder Ryan Crotty
Wyatt Crockett
Mitchell Dunshea Mike Delany
Owen Franks Mitchell Drummond
Ben Funnell Braydon Ennor
Billy Harmon Jack Goodhue
Oliver Jager Bryn Hall
Andrew Makalio
Joe Moody Mitchell Hunt
Tim Perry Will Jordan
Kieran Read Jone Macilai
Luke Romano Manasa Mataele
Pete Samu Richie Mo’unga
Tom Sanders Jack Stratton
Quinten Strange
Jordan Taufua
Codie Taylor
Matt Todd
Sam Whitelock
Hurricanes
Chiefs
Highlanders
Blues
