New Zealand Super Rugby Franchise announces their squad for 2012 Super Rugby Seasons – Super Rugby News
Blues, Crusaders, Chiefs, Highlanders and Hurricanes are five New Zealand based Super Rugby franchises who have anounced their squads for the next Super Rugby season. South Africa, New Zealand
and Australia Rugby (SANZAR) organises the event in which teams from South Africa, New Zealand and Australia compete with each other for the Super Rugby title. Since 2011, 15 teams compete with each other for the title.
These teams play in the southern hemispheres premier Rugby Union competition, the Super Rugby championship.
All New Zealand based Super Rugby franchises has announced their squad for the 2012 Super Rugby campaign. Following New Zealand national Rugby Union team’s win in the recently concluded 2011
Rugby World Cup tournament, the overall atmosphere in New Zealand is optimistic as the New Zealand based outfits look forward to win the Super Rugby title from Australian Super Rugby franchise, Queensland Reds.
New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU), General Manager Professional Rugby Neil Sorensen has expressed his excitement on the eve of the upcoming Super Rugby competition. He said, “These five Super
Rugby teams are the strongest and most exciting we have ever seen straight off the back of a Rugby World Cup year.”
Sorensen added, “With such a fantastic line up of teams from the New Zealand franchises, I am sure they will bring something special to the 2012 Super Rugby season,”
Sorensen further added, “It's reassuring that while some of our senior players are taking the next phase of their rugby careers offshore - the depth of talent available to Super Rugby selectors
this year has been impressive,”
New Zealand based Super Rugby squads consists of 153 players. This includes the arrivals of 28 news players to the Super Rugby tournament, while 14 others will be player for different teams
as compare to the last season.
Teams have picked eight players of the All Blacks under 20s side which lifted the 2011 Junior World Championship title in Italy earlier this year. Besides this, two members of the New Zealand
Sevens team, which lifted the International Rugby Board’s (IRB) World Series event, were also included in the squad.
The 2012 squad of the New Zealand based Franchises are given below
BLUES
Gareth Anscombe, Anthony Boric, Daniel Braid, Luke Braid, Charlie Faumuina, Michael Hobbs, Jerome Kaino, Chris Lowrey, Tevita Mailau,Pauliasi Manu,Alby Mathewson,Tom McCartney, Keven Mealamu,
Brad Mika, George Moala, Liaki Moli, Lachie Munro, Ma'a Nonu, Filo Paulo, David Raikuna, Rene Ranger, Peter Saili, Benson Stanley, Sherwin Stowers, Angus Ta'avao, Isaia Toeava, Piri Weepu, Ali Williams, Tony Woodcock, Rudi Wulf, Benson Stanley, Sherwin Stowers,
Angus Ta'avao, Isaia Toeava.
CHIEFS
Ben Afeaki, Alex Bradley, Sam Cane, Craig Clarke, Shane Cleaver, Aaron Cruden, Hika Elliot, Mike Fitzgerald, Romana Graham, Andrew Horrell, Richard Kahui, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Tanerau Latimer,
Fritz Lee, Brendon Leonard, Lelia Masaga, Liam Messam, Tim Nanai-Williams, Maritino Nemani, Declan O'Donnell, Brodie Retallick, Robbie Robinson, Mahonri Schwalger, Toby Smith, Ben Tameifuna, Sona Taumalolo, Kane Thompson, Asaeli Tikoirotuma, Scott Waldrom,
Sonny Bill Williams, Jackson Willison.
CRUSADERS
Nicholas Barrett, Tyler Bleyendaal, Daniel Carter, Wyatt Crockett, Ryan Crotty, Israel Dagg, Tom Donnelly, Andy Ellis, Corey Flynn, Ben Franks, Owen Franks, Robbie Fruean, Ben Funnell, Zac
Guildford, Willi Heinz, Ross Kennedy, Quentin MacDonald, Sean Maitland, Tom Marshall, Richie McCaw, Patrick Osborne, Kieran Read, Luke Romano, Tom Taylor, Matt Todd, Joe Wheeler, Sam Whitelock, George Whitelock, Adam Whitelock, Luke Whitelock.
HIGHLANDERS
Kurt Baker, Josh Bekhuis, Jimmy Cowan, Nick Crosswell, Elliot Dixon, Tamati Ellison, Ma'afu Fia, Hosea Gear, John Hardie, James Haskell, Jarrad Hoeata, Andrew h**e, Chris King, Kendrick Lynn,
Jamie Mackintosh, Nasi Manu, Bronson Murray, Chris Noakes, Siale Piutau,
Kade Poki, Culum Retallick, Jason Rutledge, Colin Slade, Aaron Smith, Ben Smith, Lima Sopoaga, Adam Thomson, Doug Tietjens, Shaun Treeby, Telusa Veainu.
HURRICANES
Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Beauden Barrett, Tim Bateman, Michael Bent, James Broadhurst, Richard Buckman, Dane Coles, Jason Eaton, Chris Eaton, Reggie Goodes, David Hall, Jayden Hayward, Cory Jane,
Daniel Kirkpatrick, Jack Lam, Alapati Leiua, Faifili Levave, Karl Lowe, Motu Matu'u, Ben May,Tristan Moran, Charlie Ngatai, TJ Perenara, Tusi Pisi, Mark Reddish, Julian Savea, Brad Shields, Conrad Smith, Chris Smylie, Andre Taylor, Jeremy Thrush, Victor Vito.
Tags: