After exceeding expectations in their debut, the New Zealand Warriors will again have a boys’ team in contention at the 2022 World School Sevens rugby union tournament at the Pakuranga Rugby Club on December 17 and 18.
As a late replacement for the 2021 event held over until January, the team of Sky Sport Future Warriors contracted players finished with a win, a draw and two losses in pool play to reach the plate semi-finals.
There they bowed out with a 17-29 to the New Zealand Cavaliers, who went on to win the plate final.
The New Zealand Warriors will be among 24 international teams lining up for the event.
For the first time, there is also a New Zealand Warriors girls’ team.
The opportunity to again play in the long-running rugby union event comes at a time when the One New Zealand Warriors have re-established and expanded their pathways structure at the junior level after being based in Australia for the last three seasons.
2022 WORLD SCHOOL SEVENS
NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS UNDER-18 BOYS
AMALANI TAIALA (St Kentigern College)
ANTONIO ULUGIA (Aorere College)
AUGUSTINO FILIPO (De La Salle College)
BEN MONAGHAN (St Kentigern College)
COMPTON PURCELL (St Paul’s College)
DEZMAN LABAN (Kelston Boys’ High School)
EZEKIEL FAGA-IETI (St Thomas of Canterbury College)
FRANK VAENUKU (De La Salle College)
GABRIEL SHEPHERD (De La Salle College)
HAAMI LOZA (De La Salle College)
JACKSON STEWART (St Thomas of Canterbury College)
JOSIAH TUPOU-VEA (St Peter’s College)
JUNIOR SIKUVEA (De La Salle College)
KAAWYN PATTERSON (Westlake Boys’ High School)
KANAAN TALIA-MAGELE (De La Salle College)
KYAN ALO (Mt Albert Grammar School)
LUCKY KALI (St Paul’s College)
NATE BROWN (Kelston Boys’ High School)
NOAH JENSEN (Westlake Boys’ High School)
TAIPARI WIKITERA (Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Maungarongo)
TE WAAKA POPATA-HENARE (Mt Albert Grammar School)
VITALIANO ROACHE (St Peter’s College)
Coaches | Brent Semmons, Amasio Valence, Grant Pocklington
Trainer | Tim Rogers
Physio | Roman Blackman
Manager | Athens Henare
