Swindale Shield kicks off in Upper Hutt
It might be new territory at Awakairangi Park but the Upper Hutt Rams will look for any home advantage they can muster when Wellington club rugby’s Swindale Shield begins on Saturday.
The Rams meet Hutt Old BoysMarist on a Gala Day opening to the shield where all 14 premier sides will play, either at a newly laid out five-field Awakairangi or the nearby Maoribank Park.
Ahead of this, from 1pm. all the club’s reserve sides will kick off their Harper Lock Shield play at the same locations.
The Rams are again coached by Adam Campbell with Tim Kareko, a former high-profile player as assistant.
‘‘We will be looking to paly in the same stye as last year. We always like to move the ball and play an entertaining game,’’ he said.
Barring the loss of Salesi Rayasi and a handful of others missing through early injury or unavailability, the side looks as settled as can be expected.
Rayasi has headed to Auckland rugby on a two-year contract after playing with the Rams’ sevens side in national competition last month. A gifted fullback or winger, he had one game for the Wellington Lions last season and is a big loss at both club and representative level..
Others absent include the 100-game veteran lock Ray Sio and prop Gabe Viki who was seriously injured in last season’s second round play.
Two promising young forwards in hooker Josh HoustonTupou and number eight Josh Brown will also be late arrivals. The former is recovering from illness while Brown is on standdown after receiving concussion at the New Zealand under-20 trials in Palmerston North on the week- end,
Sam Wasley returns after a season away through injury and he is likely to be in the loose forward mix with Daniel Schrijvers, Mitchell Markov and Josh Hunt while Aiden Woodward and Vern Sosefo will be the second-row mainstays.
Sideline supporters will welcome the return, again after a season away with injury, of Calem Sua. A massive tight-head prop Sua will be part of a Rams’ pack which may have a bit more size than in recent seasons.
In the backs Joyner Key will be missing early early but the versatile Nua Fono-Hunt is fit and ready while, among the regulars, there be new faces in Paddy Gough, out of Dunedin rugby and Kona Fuanati, a Norths premier mid-fielder last season.