Turbos’ foreign legion about to hit the two-dozen mark

Kenyan wing will be, by my count, the 23rd overseas player to wear the Manawatu Turbos jersey.

Manawatu has accommodated more foreigners than any other NPC province in the 12 years since the Turbos were born in 2006.

They have often gone overseas to fill vacancies when the domestic market for elite players has dried up.

Ambaka is a big lad who could be a threat this season.

He doesn’t lack experience – he just has to adapt to New Zealand rugby.

His romance with his Canadian partner was even written up in The Nairobian newspaper last year.

He played French second division rugby for Lyon Olympique the year they won promotion and for Western

Willy Ambaka

Province in South Africa, until an ankle injury took toll.

The highest-ranked foreign import was former Springbok

who was one of the Turbos’ originals in 2006.

He arrived from the Stormers via Northland and the Hurricanes.

He is still in Palmerston North in vehicle sales with Mcverry Crawford Ltd and has two sons who are both halfbacks.

Big No 8 arrived in 2006 after playing for the Sharks in South Africa.

He played for High School Old Boys and Kia Toa, who he now coaches, and then in Nagoya,

Joggie Viljoen, Bertus Mulder

Japan. He is an accountant at Toyota NZ and the Manawatu sevens coach.

Wing (Freyberg) also played the first two Turbos seasons after playing for the Falcons before returning to South Africa.

The most swashbuckling 2006 arrival was Argentinian

who was discovered by first five-eighth Graham Smith when they played for an American sevens team in the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean, of all places.

Bosch was a lethal attacker from fullback who hacked the ball the length of the field in the draw with Counties-manukau in 2006 and scored his famous 65-metre try from a header against Waikato in 2007.

Finally coach Dave Rennie told him to stop heading it.

Leon Lubbe Francisco Bosch,

He lives in Buenos Aires. Other arrivals in 2006 were Fijians and

with an expatriate Kiwi lock from Sydney University,

and Tongan international lock who, after playing for Agen and Bayonne, is now with Dan Carter’s Paris club, Racing 92.

Tuiteci still laces a boot in Manawatu, Sewabu is coaching in Fiji after guiding Varsity to the Hankins Shield last year and Waite is a director at Mistubishi UFG corporate banking in Auckland.

The Turbos were keen to have Waite back, but when he returned to banking in Sydney, in came Welsh lock from 2007 to 2010. He moved on to the Cardiff Blues, Ospreys and Newcastle Falcons.

Fijian wing

Simeli Tuiteci Sewabu,

Waite, Lisiate Fa’aoso James Goode Asaeli Koli Alex

got his big break in his second year with the Turbos after moving from Wanganui in 2010. Dave Rennie then took him to the Chiefs in 2012, but for his final two years, ‘‘Tiks’’ came back to Manawatu jaded and by 2015 his time was up.

He went to London club Harlequins and then London Irish from where he still plays for Fiji.

Also in 2010, the Turbos employed English prop

on loan from Wellington and when he injured his back, Irish prop

was summoned from Wellington. Also Irish is current loose forward son of former All Black Mike. Harrison played for Ireland under20s in the 2014 World Cup in New Zealand.

Two more Sydney University products played for the Turbos.

Tikoirotuma Kingsland Mcnamara Shane Donal Harrison Brewer,

Australia A first-five arrived in 2011 and looked the goods until he injured his shoulder, while halfback

arrived from the Melbourne Rebels in 2013.

Stirzaker and Papa Wharewera shared all 10 games in 2013, after which Stirzaker returned to the Rebels and has since captained them.

Also on the Aussie front, Samoa under-20 prop was signed in 2015 after being cut by the Waratahs and can now snub his nose at them from the Crusaders. The Tudreu brothers,

arrived from Fiji to study at the then International Pacific College and the fleet-footed wings caught the eye of coach Jason O’halloran.

Three North American props have played for the Turbos, but the

Stirzaker and Nathan, Daniel Kelly Nick Michael Alaalatoa Newton

best by far was the Canadian from Saskatoon, .He joined Te Kawau in 2013 and the Turbos weren’t fussed.

But he returned and played a huge part in their Championship win, monstering Hawke’s Bay’s fellow Canuck prop Jason Marshall late in the final. The bearded ‘‘Moose’’ has 41 caps for Canada and has captained them. He went to the San Diego Breakers and at 35 plays for the Prairie Wolf Pack in Calgary. United States Eagles prop

was with the Turbos in 2012 and now plays Pro D2 rugby in France. Canadian prop

was a Turbo last year, before playing for the Northampton Saints second team, as was current Tongan international No 8

who has just joined the Leicester Tigers.

Fry Ilnicki Hubert Buydens Mapapalangi, Jake Eric Valentino