Former Hamilton Boys High School and New Zealand Secondary Schools captain Quinn Tupaea has signed with Waikato for the upcoming 2018 Mitre 10 Cup season.

Tupaea, 19, is a talented young rugby player with a strong and physical presence on the field in both 15’s and 7’s. In 2017 he captained the Hamilton Boys High School 1st XV to a shared Super 8 title, led the team to a national title game appearance and led the seven’s side to their third consecutive Condor 7’s title.

His form also saw him gain selection for the 2017 New Zealand Secondary Schools team, in which he was named captain. Earlier this year Quinn was co-winner of the Secondary Schools Sportsman of the Year award at the Brian Perry Waikato Regional Sports Awards.

Waikato CEO Blair Foote said, “Quinn Tupaea is a local product and he has been on our radar for some time coming through our emerging players programmes. He is a player with incredible talent, in defence he is solid and physical and is a destructive runner when he has ball in hand.

He was a player we did not want to lose to another region, so to be able to have him join our high performance team was a top priority for us.”

Quinn Tupaea played junior rugby for Southwell before playing for Hamilton Boys High School and in 2018 he has featured for Hamilton Old Boys in the Premier Club Rugby competition.

Article added: 2 May 2018