Waikato Rugby is pleased to announce their initial 38-man Bunnings Warehouse National Provincial Championship (NPC) squad for the upcoming 2022 season.

Ayden Johnstone returns as one of the co-captains from 2021 but this season he is joined in that leadership role by experienced openside flanker, Mitch Jacobson, who will add to his 62 Waikato caps this season.

The bulk of the 2021 squad has returned in 2022, with 35 of the 38 players returning for this season.  There are three players who have a chance to make their Waikato debut this season. These players are Te Awamutu Sports inside back, Taha Kemara, Hamilton Old Boys prop, Solomone Tukuafu and Samoan powerhouse utility back, Alapati Leuia, who returns from Europe after 8 seasons with the Wasps (20 appearances) and Bristol Bears (31), he has also made 26 appearances for Samoa since 2013.

This seasons squad features 2 current All Blacks, 24 Super Rugby players and 2 current Samoan Internationals.

This season could see nine player reach playing milestones. Liam Messam currently has 99 Waikato caps and has a chance to become Waikato’s newest centurion. While Sefo Kautai (46), Bailyn Sullivan (45) and Jack Lam (42) all have a chance of reaching their 50 games milestone for the province. There are 5 players who are in-line to receive their 18^th game Blazer this season, these players are Xavier Roe (17), Mosese Dawai (15), George Dyer (12), D’Angelo Leuila (11) and Simon Parker (11)

Waikato head coach Ross Filipo said, “We are again pleased to name a squad that is made up predominately of players from the 2021 season. We are extremely proud that we were able to achieve a Premiership title in the extreme circumstances we were under, but this year is another season, so we are to resetting and do it all again.

We as a coaching group once again were looking for players with great character and are hard-working men that will strive to make this province proud once more and continue to build on our successes from last season.”

Waikato's 2022 Bunnings Warehouse NPC campaign begins on Saturday (August 6) against Hawke’s Bay Magpies at FMG Stadium Waikato as game 3 of a triple header at the stadium. The day will kick-off with a preseason hit out between Thames Valley Swampfoxes and New Zealand Harlequins, kick-off 11:35am, followed by Waitomo Group: Waikato FPC hosting Bay of Plenty Volcanix in week 4 of the Farah Palmer Cup as well as a Chiefs Country Cup clash, kick-off 2.05pm, with the Bunnings NPC match scheduled for 4:35pm.

2022 Waikato Bunnings Warehouse National Provincial Championship Squad

Hamilton Burr (29) Hautapu

Rob Cobb (21) Hamilton Old Boys

Tepaea Cook-Savage (7) Fraser Tech

Liam Coombes-Fabling (22) Fraser Tech

Sam Cooper (10) Hamilton Old Boys

Mosese Dawai (15) Hautapu

Rhys Dickinson (5) Fraser Tech

George Dyer (12) Fraser Tech

Samipeni Finau (22) Hamilton Old Boys

Luke Jacobson (22) Hautapu

Mitch Jacobson (62) Hautapu – Co-Captain

Ayden Johnstone (33) Hautapu – Co-Captain

Sefo Kautai (46) Hamilton Marist

Taha Kemara (*) Te Awamutu Sports

Jack Lam (42) Hamilton Marist 

Alapati Leuia (*)

D’Angelo Leuila (11) Fraser Tech

Anton Lienert-Brown (21) University

Tom Martin (4)

Rhys Marshall (4)

Damian McKenzie (26) University

Laghlan McWhannell (22) Hautapu

Steven Misa (28) Hamilton Marist

Liam Messam (99) Hautapu

Ollie Norris (31) Hautapu

Simon Parker (11) Hautapu

Cortez Ratima (21) Otorohanga

Te Rama Reuben (1) University

Xavier Roe (17) Hamilton Old Boys

Daniel Sinkinson (1) Melville

Bailyn Sullivan (45) Hamilton Marist

Samisoni Taukei’aho (44) Fraser Tech 

James Thompson (20) Hautapu

Ryan Tongia (5)

James Tucker (53) Hamilton Marist

Solomone Tukuafu (*) Hamilton Old Boys

Quinn Tupaea (32) Hamilton Old Boys

Gideon Wrampling (18) Te Awamutu Sports

() = caps for Waikato

* = uncapped for Waikato

Article added: Thursday 21 July 2022