Community match for the Hurricanes on Saturday

The corporate veil will soon descend over the Hurricanes for another year, but first fans can view the team in action up close when they take on the Chiefs at Porirua Park on Saturday, kick-off 1.00pm.

The Hurricanes have traditionally brought a pre-season match to their community, with Wainuiomata last year, Levin the year before that and in formative years venues such as Mangatainoka in the Wairarapa – marking the traditional start of the Hurricanes season in their own territory.

Following – week’s 44-36 win over the Blues in Auckland, the Hurricanes will once again field an engorged squad with 15 starters and 23 reserves and with rolling substitutions, cancelling the game out as a first-class match for the records. But it is understood that it will be structured as a normal 80-minute game.

Five Wellington players will take their place in the XV to start the match, including an all-Wellington run-on front row of Xavier Numia, Asafo Aumua and Siale Lauaki. Ruben Love starts at first-five and Callum Harkin at fullback.

Local players coming off the pine include Tawa duo Hugo Plummer and Matolu Petaia and Petone’s Riley Higgins.

The fixture is $10 entry fee, or watch live and free on Huddy Sports at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er-qDknzIkY

HURRICANES TEAM TO PLAY CHIEFS

Xavier Numia
2. Asafo Aumua
3. Siale Lauaki
4. Isaia Walker-Leawere
5. Warner Dearns
6. Devan Flanders
7. Arese Poliko
8. Brayden Iose
9. Ere Enari
10. Ruben Love
11. Fehi Fineanganofo
12. Jordie Barrett (c)
13. Bailyn Sullivan
14. Josh Moorby
15. Callum Harkin

Reserves: Pouri Rakete-Stones, Jacob Devery, Tevita Mafileo, Hugo Plummer, Taine Roiri, Zach Taulapapa, Mosese Bason, Matolu Petaia, Jordi Viljoen, Brett Cameron, Josh Gray, Riley Higgins, Jone Rova, Josh Timu, Taniela Filimone, Raymond Tuputupu, Vernon Bason, Pasi Tosi, Cooper Flanders, Jai Tamati, Lucas Cashmore, Anaru Paenga-Morgan, Drew Wild

Unavailable Due To injury

Tyrel Lomax (thumb): 1-2 weeks
Caleb Delany (calf): 4 weeks
Tom Allen (leg/foot): 2 weeks
Brad Shields (finger): 2 weeks
Du’Plessis Kirifi (calf): 4-5 weeks
Peter Lakai (calf): 1-2 weeks
Harry Godfrey (knee): Expected to miss season
Kini Naholo (knee): 3-4 weeks

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Club Rugby caught up with four players in the Hurricanes squad at last week’s media day.

A visual conversation with roving reporter Peter McDonald and Hugo Plummer is below:

Callum Harkin told Club Rugby in an audio conversation that he is exited to be building on his maiden Super Rugby experience last year in which he made 10 appearances.

“Having played last year where it was a new experience, there is that familiarisation with the build-up to game day so it is good coming into my second season knowing what to expect,” Harkin said.

“It builds up that excitement, when you do get to go out there and play in front of the Hurricanes fans.”

“Porirua has produced a lot of great Hurricanes, so it’s good to take this second pre-season game out to Jerry Collins Stadium and play in front of the local supporters.”

Harkin heads into the new year fit as fiddle and raring to go – as evidenced by his win in December in the Hurricanes internal Surf to Peak race.

In days gone by this event garnered back page of the newspaper coverage.

The race starts at Lyall Bay with a 1km run, then a transition to their bikes for a 21km cycle around the bays to Oriental Parade. Then it is a 2km run up Mt Victoria to the lookout to the finishing line. Anything under an hour is fairly rapid and Harkin won it in 59:15.

“There is always a syndicate going around on who is the favourite to win that and myself and a few others were mentioned beforehand,” Harkin said about the event.

“There was a group of us that were out in the front from the start. We had Brad Shields and Caleb Delany who were only doing the bike, so we got them to draft and there was a group of outside backs and a loosie who were just sitting in behind there. Then when it got to the hill run you just had to give it your all heading up to the top.”

As noted in team news above, Harkin will be starting at fullback at Porirua Park.

“I have been training a lot at 10 and 15 so we will see how it pans out as to where I will be playing this year,” said the 50/22 specialist last week prior to last week’s opener in Auckland.

The Hurricanes also have Ruben Love, who it is understood could be taking the reins at first-five outside Cam Roigard, as he will be at Porirua Park on Saturday.

As well as Harkin, there is also Brett Cameron and Lucas Cashmore, while Harry Godfrey was ruled out for the season due to an ACL injury.

Riley Higgins is also back from injury to bolster the midfield, another Wellington player looking to make his mark this year.

If Harkin can stay fit and continue his fine form of the past couple of years then there could be plenty of opportunities for him this year.

Harkin was saddened to hear of the recent passing of another fullback, Peter Osborne. Osborne was a four-time Jubilee Cup winner in the 1950s with University, the forerunner of Harkin’s Old Boys University club, and latterly a big supporter at their games.

The other two conversations that roving reporter Peter McDonald had at Hurricanes Media Day were with Brad Shields and Riley Higgins. Both of these are ‘audio’ only and here: