Hurricanes Development Team Playing in IRB Pacific Rugby Cup
This Saturday 5th March will see the Hurricanes Development Team play their opening game in the IRB Pacific Rugby Cup against Samoa A. Saturday’s clash will be the first of three for the Development side in the new competition. Both Tonga A and the Fiji Warriors are also a part of the tournament and will face the Hurricanes Development Team over the next two weeks.
The IRB Pacific Rugby Cup is a warm-up competition for the Pacific countries for the Rugby World Cup to be held in New Zealand later this year.
Hurricanes High Performance Manager, Jono Phillips, is thrilled with this opportunity for the Development team. “We are very fortunate to be able to host these three games and use this as a key step for players from within the Hurricanes region. It is a fantastic opportunity for guys in the squad, the wider training group and peripheral groups to develop their game and playing style.”
"The new tournament format has been developed in close consultation with the Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island Rugby Unions and in line with the IRB strategic investment programme in the Pacific Islands," said IRB Regional General Manager for Oceania, William Glenwright.
"It will expose players and management staff of the Island Unions to the High Performance systems of Super Rugby teams, while also providing high quality games for those Super Rugby players not yet in the top squad. This level of exposure in a Rugby World Cup year is invaluable to current and aspiring national team players."
The IRB Chairman, Bernard Lapasset, noted “The IRB Pacific Rugby Cup was developed to bridge the gap between domestic and international Rugby for the best locally-based players in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga and has been hugely successful in exposing a new generation of Pacific Rugby players to the rigours of international Rugby.”
Full schedule for the Hurricanes Development Team:
Saturday 5th March v Samoa A Porirua Park 4:00pm
Wednesday 9th March v Tonga A Hutt Recreational Ground 7:00pm
Monday 14th March v Fiji Warriors Porirua Park 4:00pm
If you wish to be accredited for these games please contact Bronwyn Williams.
Please note the Hurricanes Development Team for the game against Samoa will be named on tomorrow.
For further information please contact:
Bronwyn Williams
Communications Executive
M: 027 4615 999