Rugby: Whanganui players in Heartland Hurricanes to play on Westpac Stadium

The five Wanganui Under 20 players selected for the Heartland Hurricanes will get the chance to play on the big stage of Wellington's Westpac Stadium during the Central Region Shield tournament this month.

Kohlt Coveny, Josefa Rokotakala, Jason Myers, Lamaire Meunier and Jack O'Leary were named in the 23-player squad after the completion of the HYRC Development Series at the Massey University Sport & Rugby Institute grounds in Palmerston North on Sunday.

After being well beaten by eventual champions Wairarapa Bush U20 and Horowhenua Kapiti U20, Wanganui won their last game over Poverty Bay U20, 22-17.

They rallied from being 10-8 down at halftime to score two tries to one in the second half to take the match, making repeated waves of attack.

The flanker Myers had an outstanding three-game tournament to be named the overall MVP, which was presented to him by HYRC chairman Gordon Noble-Campbell.

Both Myers and the hooker Coveny have made the Heartland Hurricanes squad for the second year.

The team will go onto play the provincial Under 19 squads of Hawke's Bay, Wellington and Manawatu over the next three weeks, starting with Hawke's Bay back in Palmerston North this Saturday.

Their following game with Wellington U19 will be at Westpac Stadium on Friday, August 23, with a 5.05pm kickoff, as the curtain raiser to the big Wellington vs Canterbury match in the Mitre 10 Cup.

It is not yet known if Sky TV will also broadcast the curtain raiser, however there will be coverage from iheartRadio on 1161AM and 87.6FM.

Heartland Hurricanes will then play their third game against Manawatu U19 in Palmerston North the following weekend.

The Hurricanes recruitment and development manager Darren Larsen will again coach the side, while Whanganui's Chris Back is the manager.

By Jared Smith
Whanganui Chronicle 13/8/19