Canes stars do their bit for team and country
You might not see them play, but you will see them. As it stands, the Hurricanes’ All Blacks will still be on annual leave when the team plays pre-season matches in Mangatainoka and Levin, on February 2 and 9. The same applies to the franchise’s New Zealand Maori players, with none expected to front until week one of the Super season when the Hurricanes meet the Waratahs in Sydney on February 16.
All of which had the potential to turn the Mangatainoka and Levin games into total nonevents. With all due respect to some of the younger Hurricanes, and the team’s various training partners, it’s the stars that the good folk of Wairarapa and Horowhenua-Kapiti want to see. And they will.
‘‘We’re still working all that through with the All Blacks, and obviously some of them are still away up north, but we’re working on the principle that all of our All Blacks will be at both games, but we’re not sure if any of them will play,’’ Hurricanes chief executive Avan Lee said.
‘‘But they will definitely be there for both games and be available for selfies, autographs and everything else.’’
There are some Hurricanes All Blacks, such as Asafo Aumua and Gareth Evans, whose international obligations are over for this year and who are already on leave. If any stars are likely to play those pre-season games, against the Blues and Crusaders, it’s them.
Five thousand fans are expected for the Mangatainoka clash with the Blues, in what is the Hurricanes’ first visit there for six years, with 6500 able to be accommodated at the Levin Domain when the Crusaders come to town.
‘‘If we went out there and played a squad without All Blacks, obviously there would be some people who were upset because that might be their only chance for this season – let alone others – to see these guys. So the next-best thing is to take them out and for them to be available to meet the public,’’ said Lee.
‘‘The guys love it as well, because they appreciate what it means to the local community for them to be there.’’
That’s not least because several are from smaller communities themselves, including captain Dane Coles. He’s immensely proud of his Paraparaumu roots and had hoped to play in the Heartland competition for HorowhenuaKapiti this year.
‘‘For the Levin game we could tell Dane Coles that he’s off for the weekend, but he’d go anyway,’’ Lee said.
This was the case earlier this year, when the Hurricanes held an open training session in Levin. Coles wasn’t far removed from knee surgery, and officially on annual leave, but hobbled along and signed autographs and posed for photos for almost two hours.
‘‘The guys are well aware this is part of their role as Hurricanes,’’ said Lee.