Academy Series underway Saturday as Hurricanes teams kick off

UPDATED: Sevens rugby took the spotlight a fortnight ago, now it is the start of the fifteens game for many players in the wider region.

The second annual Sam Doyle Memorial Trophy series takes place at Massey University, Palmerston North over the next fortnight.

The series sees the Academy sides of Wellington, Hawke’s Bay and Manawatu meet in a tri-series that was formerly used to select the Hurricanes U20s side.

There will still be a NZ U20 camp next month in Taupo (14-21 March), but is being run in a series between four squads – the NZ Barbarians, Saracens, Harlequins and Centurions. So leading players will be vying for selection here.

For the second year, this Academy series is ‘game of three halves’ format, played over two games on 21 and 28 February. This worked well last year and Wellington were the champions.

Tomorrow’s games are played on Massey #4  with the draw being:

• 12.30pm – Wellington v Manawatu
• 1.15pm – Wellington v Hawke’s Bay
• 2.00pm – Hawke’s Bay v Manawatu

All three unions will field a mixture of mostly returning second year players and new ones straight out of their school First XVs and looking to hit the ground running for another long and busy season in 2026.

Wellington will be led on the field by returning players with Premier club experience such as Upper Hutt Rams tighthead prop Alex Hewitt, MSP lock/flanker Preston Moananu, Norths lock Tane Landon-Lane,  and Tawa flanker Luke Bidois in the forwards and OBU halfback Jake Lawson, Pōneke halfback Mike Brown and MSP utility back Jayde Burns

Of note, several Wellington players are unavailable or injured for this first week, including locks Sam Thomson and Johnny Falloon, hooker Cazna Sale and halfback Kian O’Connell. Falloon has been selected in the Hurricanes Hunters Development team for their trip to Christchurch tomorrow (see below).

Of the new school leavers, local front rowers, ex St Pat’s prop Ioane Augustino and ex Silverstream hooker Riley Browne will be playing their first games for the Academy, as will be ex Silverstream captain and openside Elijah Solomona  and outside backs, ex Silverstream’s William Davis-Lenz and ex Wellington College’s Navrin Campbell will be doing likewise.

Some new players from outside the Wellington region donning Wellington colours for the first time include Rupeni Raviyawa out of Feilding High School and midfielder Jeremiah Tuhega-Vaitupu out of King’s High School in Dunedin. Raviyawa has already stamped his mark on his new club HOBM with a storming performance in the recent National Club Sevens.

Outside back Wesley Faitale is making his comeback from injury that sidelined him throughout his first season out of Taita College in 2024.

Hawke’s Bay will be captained by hard-running No. 8 Perez Malo, with halfback Le’Sharn Reiri-Paku the vice-captain and backing up from his guest appearance playing for Greytown at the recent National Club 7s.

Other familiar players to Wellington readers include former St Pat’s Silverstream hooker Jericho Wharehinga and flanker Drew Berg-Mclean, both returning for their second seasons of Senior rugby. Second-five Malachi Osman was Tawa College’s captain in 2025 and played for the NZ Māori U18s side.

Some other players in the Magpies Academy line-up of note include tighthead prop Nehemiah Lauvao, who made the NZ Barbarians U18s last year out of Hastings Boys’ High School and centre Triumph Voice out of Hastings who was selected in the NZ Schools side. Naea Fiu is ex-Rongotai College and the son of former Poneke halfback and coach Joe Fiu.

Manawatu’s starting team, as named, will have 2025 New Zealand Schools and Feilding HS captain Alani Fakava at hooker.

No. 8 Alex Palazzo captained PNBHS last year and was in the NZ Barbarians Schools team, as was his school teammate and fullback tomorrow, Hunter Kennedy, and right wing James Tuituba out of Feilding HS. PNBHS prop TJ Wallace played for the NZ Māori U18s.

Amongst some of the other players, lock Tyler Gear is out of Liston College in Auckland’s 1A competition, flanker Kobe Stranks comes from St Peter’s Cambridge and first-five Tana Faumuina from Hastings BHS.

Wellington Academy (names listed only)

FORWARDS
Alex Hewitt
Ioane Augustino
Harry Rankin
Corban King
Mako Blackman
Latu Tupou
Riley Browne
Preston Moananu
Tane Landon-Lane
Archie Schrader
Mitchell Shields
Luke Bidois
Elijah Solomona
Rupeni Raviyawa
Ele Lupo

BACKS
Mike Brown
Jake Lawson
Liam Slight
Eden Govind
Jayde Burns
Brodee Tetevano
Jeremiah Peleseuma
William Davis-Lenz
Jeremiah Tuhega-Vaitupu
Wesley Faitele
Navrin Campbell

Hawke’s Bay Academy

1. Rico Kara
2. Jericho Wharehinga
3. Nehemiah Lauvao
4. Lachlan Varcoe
5. Kane Ngawhare
6. Patrick Mauga
7. Drew Berg-McLean
8. Perez Malo (c)
9. Le’Sharn Reiri-Paku (vc)
10. Luke Thomas
11. Konnor Vainu
12. Malachi Osman
13. Triumph Voice
14. Khan Pokere
15. Joe Jury-Senitu
16. Tyrone Mauheni
17. Louie Uregei
18. Manuel Vaihoelala
19. Naea Fiu
20. Carlo Isaac
21. Marcus Leach
22. John Lameko
23. Isimeli Vono
24. Keitaro Shu
25. Joseph Lilo-Iosefo

Manawatu Academy

1. TJ Wallace
2. Alani Fakava
3. Nico Metuariki
4. Tyler Gear
5. Marika Delai
6. Viliami Rongokea-Tupou
7. Kobe Stranks
8. Alex Palazzo
9. Cooper Furnell
10. Tana Faumuina
11. Amini Seruwalu
12. Nixon Foreman
13. Tevita Fakahau
14. James Tuituba
15. Hunter Kennedy

RESERVES:

Heni Oliveti
Kotahi Cribb
Joseph Nicola
Kruz Ioane
Zach Ratuki
Fotofili Aholoka
Lazzoryss Tovo
Ben Fakava
Sione Katoa
Zach Flier
Kailan Elmers

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The Hurricanes Hunters open their Super Rugby Development series campaign in Christchurch. Club Rugby’s Adam Julian will be on the ground and will bring us some observations in Monday’s column on this website.

The Hurricanes Hunters team, featuring just three Wellington home-grown players, is:

1. Tony Tafa
2. Vernon Bason
3. Pasi Tosi
4. Tom Allen
5. Taine Roiri
6. Zach Taulapapa
7. Cooper Flanders
8. Mosese Bason
9. Jordi Viljoen
10. Lucas Cashmore
11. Josh Gray
12. Riley Higgins
13. Jone Rova
14. Ngane Punivai
15. Drew Wild
16. Raymond Tuputupu
17. Joseph Gavigan
18. Tyrel Lomax
19. Johnny Falloon
20. Harry Irving
21. Kade Manuel
22. Will Cole
23. Anaru Paenga-Morgan
24. Taniela Filimone

The fixture is at 12.30pm at Linwood Rugby Football Club.

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The Hurricanes open their Super Rugby Pacific campaign tonight at home in Wellington against Moana Pasifika.

Their team features Matolu Petaia on debut. Petaia has had a metoric rise, this time last year he was working hard in a day job and preparing for Tawa’s club rugby season. He subsequently helped Tawa all the way to the Jubilee Cup final and then to several big matches for the Wellington Lions.

The former Hastings Boys’ High School loose forward comes off the bench.

Oriental-Rongotai’s Dominic Ropeti starts at No. 8 for Moana Pasifika.

The Hurricanes team is below (Hurricanes caps in brackets):

1. Xavier Numia (76)
2. Asafo Aumua (75)
3. Siale Lauaki (4)
4. Hugo Plummer (8)
5. Warner Dearns (debut)
6. Devan Flanders (56)
7. Peter Lakai (37)
8. Brayden Iose (51)
9. Ereatara Enari (12)
10. Brett Cameron (24)
11. Fehi Fineanganofo (12)
12. Jordie Barrett (111 – captain)
13. Bailyn Sullivan (40)
14. Josh Moorby (38)
15. Callum Harkin (10)
16. Jacob Devery (17)
17. Pouri Rakete-Stones (52)
18. Tevita Mafileo (57)
19. Matolu Petaia (debut)
20. Brad Shields (128)
21. Arese Poliko (debut)
22. Cam Roigard (47)
23. Billy Proctor (68)

UNAVAILABLE DUE TO INJURY

Isaia Walker-Leawere (calf): 1 week
Caleb Delany (calf): 2 weeks
Du’Plessis Kirifi (calf): 2 weeks
Harry Godfrey (knee): Expected to miss season
Ruben Love (ankle): 4-6 weeks
Josh Timu (foot): 7-9 weeks
Kini Naholo (knee): 2-4 weeks

Aisle be Back: Hurricanes open season against Moana Pasifika