Pulu loses captaincy

RUGBY: Augustine Pulu has been dumped as Blues captain for 2019. New head coach Leon MacDonald has announced lock Patrick Tuipulotu and openside flanker Blake Gibson have been handed the reins. Gibson was the original captain for Auckland in their Mitre 10 Cup victory but suffered an injury early on to rule him out. Tuipulotu was his deputy but only played one game before being called up to the All Blacks after injury.