Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

New Hurricanes coaches name fresh-faced 2024 squad

Brad Shields (captain) of the Hurricanes after his 100th match, the round 18 Super Rugby match between the Hurricanes and the Blues at Westpac Stadium on July 7, 2018 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo by Mark Tantrum/Getty Images)

The Savea name is nowhere to be seen in the 2024 Hurricanes squad, with both Ardie and Julian absent from the Wellington club team sheet for the first time in well over a decade.

ADVERTISEMENT

The brothers, along with the departure of Dane Coles, leave a gaping hole in the 2024 squad. But, as one door closes, another opens.

Incoming Hurricanes coach Clark Laidlaw has named a team bursting with potential breakout stars, anchored by a number of key All Blacks scattered throughout the team.

Video Spacer
Video Spacer

“It’s always exciting to have new players and the energy they bring to the team,” Laidlaw said. “All the coaches are looking forward to welcoming the new players to the club, getting to know them, and integrating them into how we want to play. Within the new players we have some players who are new to Super Rugby as well as others who have played at this level before, which again we think can add to the depth of our side.

“Overall, we are very happy with the depth of the squad. We feel we have good competition for places across the group and are really looking forward to working together through pre-season to get that competition onto the training field, heading towards Round One.”

After a sensational breakout season in 2023 where he earned meaningful Rugby World Cup minutes, Cam Roigard re-signed with the Wellington club until 2027 and will this season face the selection challenge of TJ Perenara, who returns from an Achilles injury and also recently put pen to paper on a deal to remain with the club for three more years.

The biggest acquisition for the team is Brad Shields, the former England international returning to Wellington to bolster an emerging leadership group.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Brad’s presence in the team this season will be crucial. We already know his qualities as a player and leader, as he was in this side previously, so we are delighted to have him back.”

Young gun Ruben Love will be hoping for a healthier season in 2024 after just a handful of appearances at the very end of the 2023 season. Love is one of a number of All Blacks XV selections in the Hurricanes squad who could make the leap to higher honours in Scott Robertson’s first All Blacks team of the new year.

“Obviously the ultimate goal is to win Super Rugby Pacific, but we are well aware all teams will have the same goal in mind. We know how tough the competition is going to be, so initially our key goal it is to connect well as a full group, get clear on how we want to play and work hard.”

Related

Hurricanes squad for Super Rugby Pacific 2024

ADVERTISEMENT

Props

Siale Lauaki – Wellington
Tyrel Lomax – Tasman
Tevita Mafileo – Bay of Plenty
Xavier Numia – Wellington
Pouri Rakete-Stones – Hawke’s Bay
Pasilio Tosi – Bay of Plenty

Hookers

Asafo Aumua – Wellington
Jacob Devery – Hawke’s Bay
James O’Reilly – Wellington

Locks

Caleb Delany – Wellington
Ben Grant – North Harbour
Justin Sangster – Bay of Plenty
Josh Taula – Manawat?
James Tucker – Waikato
Isaia Walker-Leawere – Hawke’s Bay

Loose Forwards

Devan Flanders – Hawke’s Bay
TK Howden – Manawat?
Brayden Iose – Manawat?
Du’Plessis Kirifi – Wellington
Peter Lakai – Wellington
Brad Shields – Wellington

Halfbacks

Richard Judd – Bay of Plenty
TJ Perenara – Wellington
Cam Roigard – Counties Manukau

Five-eighths

Brett Cameron – Manawat?
Aidan Morgan – Wellington

Midfield

Jordie Barrett – Taranaki
Riley Higgins – Wellington
Billy Proctor – Wellington
Bailyn Sullivan – Waikato
Peter Umaga-Jensen – Wellington

Outside Backs

Harry Godfrey – Hawke’s Bay
Ruben Love – Wellington
Josh Moorby – Northland
Kini Naholo – Taranaki
Ngatungane Punivai – Canterbury
Salesi Rayasi – Auckland
Daniel Sinkinson – Waikato

ADVERTISEMENT

Boks Office | Episode 37 | Six Nations Round 4 Review

Cape Town | Leg 2 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series 2025 | Full Day Replay

Gloucester-Hartpury vs Bristol Bears | PWR 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 36 | Six Nations Round 3 Review

Why did Scotland's Finn Russell take the crucial kick from the wrong place? | Whistle Watch

England A vs Ireland A | Full Match Replay

Kubota Spears vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | JRLO 2024/2025 | Full Match Replay

Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

R
RedWarriors 3 hours ago
Antoine Dupont undergoes surgery on injured knee ahead of long absence

Rugby incident, happens scores of times in a game. Dupont wasn’t even hit with much force, Beirne just clears him and force is added from behind from Furlong.

We can’t have special treatment for France just because their star is the one who gets unlucky.

There is already a lack of clarity around actual Written decisions and how they differ from bans.

For example, Mauvaka the official written decision states Mauvaka to have made a ‘reckless’, ‘deliberate’, shot ‘to the head’ of a ‘player in a vulnerable position’ on the ground. That’s a high level entry ban of 10 weeks. However, the press release did not show ‘reckless’ or ‘vulnerable player’ ticked alloweing Mauvaka to enter at the 6 match mid range.

Similarly Ntamack’s written report showed that it was a ‘reckless’, ‘head shot’ with ‘injury’. The injury was a fully displaced nose bone and Ntamack apologizes for the injury in the written report. This should give Ntamack an entry level of 6 weeks but in the Press Release ‘Injured’ is unticked meaning Ntamack gets away with a 4 week entry ban. This is not counting the fact that the world knows he deliberately injured Thomas.

No. France have been abusing the system for years, recently spreading disinformation about the Ringrose ban in order to undermine confidence in the process.

Giving France even more special treatment is not the answer.

7 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Sky Sports commentator on why Wallabies players are outplaying All Blacks counterparts Sky commentator on why Wallabies players are outplaying All Blacks
Search