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They’re all playing in the big league now but every player has a story to tell about where their football journey started.
Across the 2025 One New Zealand Warriors' wider NRL and New South Wales Cup squads, the players can trace their junior clubs back to various parts of New Zealand and Australia.
One of the more remote locations is Charleville, a rural town of 3000 that’s home to Warriors second rower Kurt Capewell.
It’s just on 750km west of Brisbane, a drive of more than eight hours. Capewell started playing football there for the local club.
Centre Rocco Berry’s background was in rugby union with the Greytown club in Wairarapa before he established himself as an elite schoolboy player with St Patrick’s College Silverstream in Upper Hutt. It was there he caught the Warriors’ eye.
The majority of players started at clubs in Auckland but there are junior clubs from than array of centres including Lower Hutt, Christchurch, Ngāruawāhia, Hamilton, Whangārei, Gold Coast, Wingham, Gerringong, Lithgow, Coffs Harbour and across Sydney.
One New Zealand Warriors | Junior clubs
| 203 | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck | Ōtāhuhu Leopards (Auckland, NZ) |
| 213 | Bunty Afoa | Point Chevalier Pirates (Auckland, NZ) |
| 216 | Erin Clark | Manurewa Marlins, Point Chevalier Pirates (Auckland, NZ) |
| 218 | Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad | City-Newton Dragons (Auckland, NZ) |
| 233 | Chanel Harris-Tavita | Pakuranga Jaguars, Mount Wellington Warriors, Howick Hornets (Auckland, NZ) |
| 237 | Adam Pompey | Wesley College rugby union (Pukekohe, NZ) |
| 240 | Wayde Egan | Lithgow Storm (Lithgow, NSW) |
| 250 | Tom Ale | Mount Albert Lions (Auckland, NZ) |
| 258 | Rocco Berry | Greytown Rugby Club (Greytown, NZ) |
| 260 | Edward Kosi | Māngere East Hawks (Auckland, NZ) |
| 262 | Dallin Watene-Zelezniak | College Old Boys (Hamilton, NZ), St Clair Comets (Sydney, NSW) |
| 270 | Freddy Lussick | Beacon Hill Bears (Sydney, NSW) |
| 274 | Te Maire Martin | Tūrangawaewae (Ngāruawāhia, NZ) |
| 275 | Mitchell Barnett | Wingham Tigers (Wingham, NSW) |
| 276 | Jackson Ford | Gerringong Lions (Gerringong, NSW) |
| 277 | Marata Niukore | Māngere East Hawks (Auckland, NZ) |
| 279 | Taine Tuaupiki | Ngāruawāhia Panthers (Ngāruawāhia, NZ), Runaway Bay Seagulls (Gold Coast) |
| 280 | Demitric Vaimauga | Ōtāhuhu Leopards (Auckland, NZ) |
| 281 | Luke Metcalf | Orara Valley Tomahawks (Orara, NSW) |
| 282 | Ali Leiataua | Māngere East Hawks, Papatoetoe Panthers (Auckland, NZ) |
| 283 | Kalani Going | Mid-Northern Rugby Club (Whangārei, NZ) |
| 285 | Kurt Capewell | Charleville (Charleville, Qld) |
| 286 | Jacob Laban | Te Aroha Eels, Randwick Kingfishers (Wellington, NZ) |
| 288 | Moala Graham-Taufa | Marist Saints (Auckland, NZ) |
| 289 | Leka Halasima | Māngere East Hawks (Auckland, NZ) |
| 290 | James Fisher-Harris | Whangārei Marist Brothers (Whangārei, NZ) |
| 291 | Sam Healey | Engadine Dragons (Sydney, NSW) |
| 292 | Tanner Stowers-Smith | Halswell Hornets (Christchurch, NZ) |
| Tanah Boyd | Runaway Bay Seagulls (Gold Coast) | |
| Morgan Harper | Ngāruawāhia Panthers (Ngāruawāhia, NZ) | |
| Eddie Ieremia-Toeava | Ōtāhuhu Leopards (Auckland, NZ) | |
| Luke Hanson | Asquith Magpies (Sydney, NSW) | |
| Motu Pasikala | Liston College rugby union (Auckland, NZ) | |
| Patrick Moimoi | Māngere East Hawks (Auckland, NZ) | |
| Jett Cleary | Brothers Penrith, St Dominic’s College (Sydney, NSW) | |
| Kayliss Fatialofa | Manurewa Marlins (Auckland, NZ) | |
| Toby Crosby | Greytown Rugby Club (Greytown, NZ) | |
| Sio Kali | Point Chevalier Pirates (Auckland, NZ) | |
| Setu Tu | Ōtāhuhu Leopards (Auckland, NZ) | |
| Harry Durbin | Point Chevalier Pirates (Auckland, NZ) | |
| Makaia Tafua | Linwood Keas (Christchurch, NZ) | |
| Jason Salalilo | Papanui Tigers (Christchurch, NZ) | |
| Etuate Fukofuka | Point Chevalier Pirates (Auckland, NZ) | |
| Geronimo Doyle | Ōtāhuhu Leopards (Auckland, NZ) | |
| Daeon Amituanai | Te Aroha Eels (Wellington, NZ) | |
| Caleb Laiman | Marist Saints (Auckland, NZ) | |
| Rodney Tuipulotu Vea | Māngere East Hawks (Auckland, NZ) | |
| William Fakatoumafi | Ōtāhuhu Leopards (Auckland, NZ) | |
| Jaydee Auloa | Point Chevalier Pirates (Auckland, NZ) |
