Stags trio runs with China Lions
Three Southland players will line up for Bay of Plenty’s new team in the Global Rapid Rugby competition. Logan Savory reports.
If you want an example of the ever-evolving and at times confusing world of professional rugby, just read the next couple of paragraphs. Three Southland Stags players have signed to play for the China Lions, a team that is run by the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union and will play its home games at Taupo¯ , Rotorua and Adelaide, Australia.
Bay of Plenty teamed up with the China Rugby Football Association to form the China Lions to play in this year’s Global Rapid Rugby competition, one that also involves teams from Fiji, Malaysia, Samoa and Australia.
The purpose of Bay of Plenty’s move was to give players other professional opportunities outside of the Mitre 10 Cup.
The inaugural China Lions squad is made up predominantly of Bay of Plenty players. However, they have recruited from outside, including Southland’s Greg Pleasants-Tate, Ray Tatafu and Lio Tosi.
Stags coach Dale MacLeod said it was a blow for club rugby in Southland given the trio would now be out of the province through to mid-June when the Global Rapid Rugby competition finishes.
He said it was a great opportunity for the three players to add to their earnings for the year and to develop in an environment that mirrored a Mitre 10 Cup setup before the Stags season started in August.
‘‘It is tough when you lose three boys from your club comp[etition], but luckily all three boys didn’t come from the same club. These boys have got a great opportunity to play in a professional competition after not being picked up by Super [Rugby] teams. It’s the sign of the times,’’ McLeod said.
Tosi re-signed with Rugby Southland last year as a No 8, but MacLeod confirmed it was now at tight-head prop where he saw Tosi’s future in the game.
Tosi is being converted into a tight-head prop and it will be with the China Lions where much of the development will be done before the start of this year’s Mitre 10 Cup season.
MacLeod got a look at Tosi playing at prop for a Southland Invitational team against the visiting Fijian team at Waimumu last month, and this rubber-stamped the plan for a positional switch. In recent years Tosi has been one of the most destructive players with ball in hand in the Southland system, but he has been unable to make a mark with the Stags because of concerns about his work rate.
MacLeod said he felt Tosi’s attributes will be better suited to the front row.
‘‘He is about 145kg – he’s a big physical beast. In the gym he is a power freak, and if you look at this fella, [prop] is where he could make it at the next level.
‘‘If he makes a go of it, I can see him being a Super [Rugby] prop next year.
‘‘He would add a new dimension [to the front row].’’
The 2020 Global Rapid Rugby competition will kick off this weekend, with the China Lions scheduled to play the Fijian Latui team in Suva on Saturday.
The China Lions were scheduled to play home games in Shanghai but the outbreak of the coronavirus put a halt to those plans.