Hurricanes U18s attending camp next week

Some 50 of the leading First XV and young club players from throughout the Hurricanes region will descend on Napier Boys' High School next week in the first week of the school holidays for the upcoming Hurricanes U18 camp.

Thirteen schools and four clubs will be represented with at least one player, from seven of the eight provincial unions that comprise the Hurricanes in 2018.

Napier Boys’ High School has eight players selected, while Palmerston North Boys’ High School, Gisborne Boys’ High School, Scots College and St Pat’s Silverstream provide six players each.

Traditional Wellington schools St Pat’s Town and Wellington College contribute just one player between them in St Pat’s Town loose forward Keelan Whitman.

The camp runs throughout next week, before going into two teams to play the Blues U18s at Owen Delaney Park in Taupo on Sunday 15 July.

Last year the Hurricanes U18s played a match against the Crusaders U18s at Westpac Stadium, winning 25-10.

Meanwhile, competition play in the Hurricanes region continues on Saturday with a top of the table Wellington clash and a pivotal Super 8 engagement.

St Pats Silverstream host Scots College in a 1 v 2 capital tussle. Silverstream have won 17 Premiership games in a row and on Wednesday trounced St Bede's College by a record  60-0 in the annual traditional fixture in Christchurch. St Bede' s poorly fielded a weaker team than usual, but Stream maintained their high standards with prop Chris Hemi scoring three tries.

Scots are 6-0 in the Premiership, a fortnight ago putting a half-century on Wellington College.

Stream should have the measure of the Scots forwards, but Scots present a genuine threat out-wide and could beat Stream for only the third time in their history.

In the Super 8, Napier Boys' High School host Rotorua Boys' High School. Napier are second in the standings, three points clear of Rotorua in fourth. The top two make the final and with a win, Napier are all-out certain to earn another crack at Hamilton Boy's High School. 

Like the Stream v Scots game, Napier appears stronger in the forwards, but Rotorua boast some elusive runners in higher numbers.

Two-time defending champions Hastings Boys' High School meet New Plymouth Boys' High School. Hastings are three points behind second place with three matches to play, despite being 3-1 this year. Hastings lost to Napier 27-7.

During the school holidays competition mostly stops with the exception of the traditional fixture in Auckland between King's College and Palmerston North Boys' High School. Last year Palmerston North won a stirring 17-0 victory in thick mud and horizontal rain. James Stratton scored two tires before being red carded after two yellow cards. Kings are a top-four side in Auckland, but Palmerston North will meet fire with fire. 

The players selected for the Hurricanes 18 camp are (by school or club, one player to be added):

Aotea College
Ropati So'oalo

Carterton Rugby Club
Isaac Bracewell

College Old Boys
Awatere Kiwara

Feilding High School
James Bolton
Te Kamaka (TK) Howden
Faamanu Saiosi Kalolo
Josiah Maraku
Drew Wild

Foxton RFC
Connor Paki

Gisborne Boys’ High School
Quinn Collard
Dylan Hall
Sione Ki-Niua
Jordan McFarlane-Rofe
Quintony Ngatai
Billy Priestley

Hastings Boys’ High School
Damarus Hokianga
Michael Naitokani
Liam Udy-Johns

Manukura
Atonio Walker-Leawere

Massey University RFC
Michael Halatuituia

Napier Boys’ High School
Jayden Walker
Patrick Teddy
Tyrone Thompson
Tiaki Fabish
Josh Gimblett
Luke Russell
Keegan Christian-Goss
Leo Thompson

Onslow College
Hugo Plummer

Palmerston North Boys’ High School
Stewart Cruden
Tyler Laubscher
Ruben Love
Gus Robertson
Bryn Wilson
Flynn Yates

Scots College
Caleb Cavubati
Roderick Solo
Manahi Tipoki
Jaylen Tuapola
Junior Uelese
Ethan Webster-Nonu

St Pat’s Silverstream
Iona Apineru
Rocco Berry
Luke Chisholm
Riley Forbes
Chris Hemi
Luke Mannix

St Pat’s Town
Keelan Whitman

Wairarapa College
Sam Smith

Wanganui Collegiate
Phoenix Kairimu