TJ replacement close to home
The Hurricanes searched up and down the country to find a replacement for departed star TJ Perenara before settling on a halfback who originally left Wellington to further his professional rugby career.
Luke Campbell, one of only five newcomers in the Hurricanes squad for the 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa season, will return to the capital after impressing for Mitre 10 Cup semifinalists Bay of Plenty.
The 25-year-old has been brought back to fill the void at halfback following Perenara’s move to Japanese club NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes.
‘‘It’s hard to describe how it feels, but it is a dream come true,’’ Campbell said. ‘‘The decision was an easy one. Being from Wellington I grew up supporting this team and always wanted an opportunity to be a part of it.
‘‘It all happened pretty quickly; Jason Holland called me a few weeks ago to get my thoughts on potentially moving back home and a week later he called to offer me the spot, and I didn’t hesitate to take it.’’
Campbell will compete with returning halfbacks Jamie Booth and Jonathan Taumateine for the vacant No 9 jersey, although Booth is sidelined with a broken leg and is likely to miss the opening game, against the Blues in Wellington on February 27.
Perenara’s exit leaves the Hurricanes light on experience in the all-important 9-10 combination, but assistant coach Cory Jane backed his trio of halfbacks to make the step up in the All Black’s absence.
‘‘It’s a big challenge for them because we’ve relied on TJ to do so much for us – both attack and defence – and we are going to miss that, but it’s exciting for these new guys,’’ Jane said.
Campbell was a standout for the Wellington College first XV and won a Jubilee Cup with Old BoysUniversity before heading north to
pursue an opportunity with Bay of Plenty in 2016.
The other newcomers in a stable looking Hurricanes squad are Manawatu¯ loose forward Brayden Iose, Wellington outside backs Ruben Love and Pepesana Patafilo, and former Blues winger Lolagi Visinia. In news from other squad announcements:
Tony Brown has pulled off what could be a significant Super Rugby coup by luring Liam Squire back to Dunedin – and the All Blacks ‘‘dream’’ is still well and truly alive in the bruising loose forward.
Brown has unveiled Squire, 29, in a 39-man squad with utility back Vilimoni Koroi also included but set to spend the majority of the year with the NZ Sevens team in their bid for Olympic gold in Tokyo.
‘‘I’ve got high standards of where I want to go to coming back, and that’s quite exciting for me.
‘‘That All Blacks dream is definitely not over. It does burn in the back of my mind.’’
Braydon Ennor will miss the Crusaders’ entire 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign, while fellow All Black George Bridge will miss half the season.
Coach Scott Robertson confirmed the statuses of the injured pair when he announced his 38-man squad, which includes four rookies – Tamaiti Williams, Isaiah Punvai, Chay Fihaki and Fletcher Newell – for a tilt at a fifth straight title.
The Chiefs have snared the signatures of Hurricanes pair Jonah Lowe and Chase Tiatia for their 2021 Super Rugby season.
They join three other new backs for next year’s squad – halfback Xavier Roe, and first fiveeighths Bryn Gatland and Rivez Reihana. Up front, there are six new additions to the pack.