Waikato has announced an initial 34-man Bunnings Warehouse National Provincial Championship squad for the upcoming 2021 season.

This year’s squad will be co-captained by Ayden Johnstone and Fletcher Smith, with the bulk of the 2020 squad returning in 2021.

The team has already announced the return of influential squad members, Sefo Kautai, Jack Lam, Liam Messam, Fletcher Smith, and James Tucker.

There are three uncapped Waikato players named in this season’s squad. These players that will have a chance to play their first cap for the province include, Fraser Tech and New Zealand under 20’s exciting outside back, Tepaea Cook-Savage, Fraser Tech and Samoan International First Five/Fullback, D’Angelo Leuila and former Hamilton Boys’ High School captain, Waikato Under 19’s captain and New Zealand Sec Schools player, Tom Martin, who joins an experienced loose forward pack.

This seasons squad features five current All Blacks, sixteen Super Rugby players and two Samoan Internationals.

This year Waikato’s All Blacks contingent has grown from two in 2020 of Anton Lienert-Brown and Damian McKenzie, to five with Luke Jacobson, returning to the squad for the first time since 2019 and All Blacks rookie’s Samisoni Taukei’aho and Quinn Tupaea also earning their national debuts this year.

This season could see four player reach playing milestones. Liam Messam currently has 93 Waikato caps and has a chance to become Waikato’s newest centurion. While Samisoni Taukei’aho (44), James Tucker (42) and Sefo Kautai (40) have a chance of reaching the 50 games milestone.

Waikato head coach Ross Filipo said, “We are again pleased to name a squad that is made up predominately of players from 2020, that last season helped us reach the semi-finals. That group will be looking to continuing on from the successes of last season and to go even further this season.”

These players that we have selected all have great character and are hard-working men that will strive to make this province proud especially in this special year for Waikato Rugby as we celebrate 100 years.

Waikato's 2021 Bunnings Warehouse National Provincial Championship campaign begins this Sunday (August 8) against North Harbour at North Harbour Stadium, kick-off 2.05pm.

Before the team returns home to FMG Stadium Waikato the following Sunday (August 15) that will be a double header, with the Waitomo Group: Waikato FPC playing the first game of the day at 12.05pm followed by the Waikato NPC team playing at 2.05pm, both sides will face their Wellington opponents.

2021 Waikato Bunnings Warehouse National Provincial Championship Squad

Hamilton Burr (18) Hautapu

Rob Cobb (15) Hamilton Old Boys

Tepaea Cook-Savage (*) Fraser Tech

Liam Coombes-Fabling (11) Fraser Tech

Mosese Dawai (5) Hautapu

Rhys Dickinson (2) Fraser Tech

George Dyer (2) Fraser Tech

Samipeni Finau (16) Hamilton Old Boys

Luke Jacobson (22) Hautapu

Mitch Jacobson (51) Hautapu

Ayden Johnstone (23) Hautapu

Sefo Kautai (40) Hamilton Marist

Jack Lam (36) Hamilton Marist 

Matty Lansdown (32) Fraser Tech

D’Angelo Leuila (*) Fraser Tech

Anton Lienert-Brown (21) University

Sekope Lopeti-Moli (15) University

Tom Martin (*)

Damian McKenzie (26) University

Laghlan McWhannell (15) Hautapu

Steven Misa (20) Hamilton Marist

Liam Messam (93) Hautapu

Ollie Norris (20) Hautapu

Simon Parker (11) Hautapu

Cortez Ratima (10) Otorohanga

Xavier Roe (10) Hamilton Old Boys

Fletcher Smith (30) University

Bailyn Sullivan (35) Hamilton Marist

Samisoni Taukei’aho (44) Fraser Tech 

James Thompson (13) Hautapu

James Tucker (42) Hamilton Marist

Quinn Tupaea (30) Hamilton Old Boys

Beaudein Waaka (7) Melville

Gideon Wrampling (9) Te Awamutu Sports

() = caps for Waikato

* = uncapped for Waikato

Article added: Monday 02 August 2021