Kia ora Manawatū Rugby whānau,

We are now just over 2 weeks away from assembling full-time for the 2023 Bunnings Warehouse NP  AddC season on the 10th of July. It certainly feels like a long time coming and I can’t wait to get back and sink my teeth into what is going to be an exciting campaign.  What I am most excited about is coaching the group that we have put together for this season who have a real blend of accuracy, courage and dedication.  

At Manawatū Rugby we have a clear identity around wanting our NPC team to be reflective of the local community and I can certainly put hand on heart to say that we have taken a big step forward in terms of our squad having a real local flavor in 2023.  

A few of the highlights for me around the squad are the fact that we have retained 20 players from 2022, we have had 7 players graduate from our academy to full-time contracts, we have 2 players returning to the Turbos after time away and we have set up 3 apprentice contracts for local club players. In addition to this we have signed 5 players from outside of the region with a focus on tight forwards and game drivers to compliment what is largely an inexperienced team in those areas. The long-term mission is to have a squad solely made up of local players and our academy is certainly producing the talent to make this a reality, but I also think we need to be realistic that from time to time we are going to have to recruit players from outside the region to fill gaps.

The apprentice contracts are a new initiative where we provide local club players the opportunity to come into the Turbos environment on a part-time week to week basis.  This will serve as an opportunity for players to bridge the gap from club rugby into the NPC ranks and I can see this type of contracting model becoming more a part of what we do in future years.  In 2023 there will be 3 apprentice contracts across 3 different positions to provide us with some much-needed depth.

We are excited to announce our Turbos staff for the upcoming NPC campaign, we have had a late change due to Tai Lavea moving to a high-profile Japanese club.  Kent Harris joins us after several years coaching Wellington club rugby and the Wellington Development team.  Kent will add a huge amount to what is already a strong coaching team.

Confirmed Turbos staff for 2023:

Coaching: Mike Rogers, Hayden Triggs, Kent Harris and Nehe Milner-Skudder

Strength and Conditioning: Henry Gilbert and Ricci Persico

Team Manager: Duncan Cameron

Physiotherapist: Chris Wilson

Analytics: Colton Bennett

Personal Development Manager: Alice Bradnock