International Rugby

Māori All Blacks squad announced to play Ireland match

by
Seosamh O’Neachtain
June 22, 2022

Rugby Team News – Māori All Blacks have announced their squad to play Ireland next Wednesday morning, kick off 8:05am Irish time.

Cullen Grace (Ngāti Whakaue / Ngāti Raukawa), Sam Nock (Ngāpuhi) and Max Hicks (Ngāti Ranginui / Ngāi te Rangi) will join the Māori All Blacks squad this week ahead of the team’s first match against Ireland on Wednesday 29 June at FMG Stadium Waikato.

Nock debuted for the Māori All Blacks in 2018 and was selected in the squad last year. He was part of the Blues team this season, playing in the Super Rugby Pacific final against the Crusaders last weekend and is a key player for Northland in the Bunnings NPC.

Hicks joins the squad for the first time after showing huge potential in the 2021 Bunnings NPC for Tasman Mako. Hicks was selected for the Highlanders this year and debuted in the Super Rugby Pacific 2022 competition.

Joining Nock and Hicks is Grace, the youngest player to be named in the New Zealand Super Rugby squads for 2020. Following a stand-out season for the Crusaders, Grace was selected in the All Blacks squad in the same year (2020) and joins the Māori All Blacks as a debutant.

Māori All Blacks Head Coach Clayton McMillan said:

“It’s great to have three quality additions to the wider squad, we welcome back Sam Nock and the two debutants Cullen Grace and Max Hicks. These guys will give us a more flexibility to prepare and put up our best performance against the top tier team Ireland over the coming weeks.”

Māori All Blacks vs Ireland: Wednesday 29 June at 7.05PM (NZST) at FMG Stadium Waikato, HAMILTON

Māori All Blacks v Ireland: Tuesday 12 July at 7.05PM (NZST) at Sky Stadium, WELLINGTOn

Māori All Blacks Squad:
*denotes new caps

Props
Tamaiti Williams	Ngāpuhi	Canterbury	Crusaders
Ollie Norris	Ngāpuhi	Waikato	Chiefs
Marcel Renata	Ngāti Whānaunga / Ngāi Takoto	Auckland	Blues
Jermaine Ainsley*	Te Rārawa / Te Arawa	Otago	Highlanders
Tyrel Lomax	Muaupoko / Ngāi Tūhoe	Tasman	Hurricanes
Hookers
Leni Apisai	Ngāti Awa	Auckland
Kurt Eklund	Ngāti Kahu	Bay of Plenty	Blues
Tyrone Thompson*	Ngāi Tāmanuhiri / Ngāti Rangiwewehi	Hawke’s Bay	Chiefs
Locks
Isaia Walker-Leawere	Ngāti Porou	Hawke’s Bay	Hurricanes
Manaaki Selby-Rickit	Ngāti Raukawa / Ngāti Tūwharetoa	Bay of Plenty	Highlanders
Josh Dickson	Ngāi Tahu	Otago	Highlanders
Loose Forwards
Reed Prinsep	Te Rārawa	Canterbury	Hurricanes
Caleb Delany*	Ngāti Tūwharetoa	Wellington	Hurricanes
Billy Harmon	Ngāi Tahu	Canterbury	Highlanders
Te Kamaka (TK) Howden*	Ngāi Tūhoe	Manawatū	Hurricanes
Cameron Suafoa*	Ngāpuhi	Auckland	Blues
Half Backs
TJ Perenara*	Ngāti Rangitihi	Wellington	Hurricanes
Brad Weber	Ngāti Porou	Hawke’s Bay	Chiefs
First Five
Josh Ioane	Te Rārawa	Otago	Chiefs
Ruben Love*	Te Atiawa	Wellington	Hurricanes
Midfield
Alex Nankivell	Ngāti Pikiao	Tasman	Chiefs
Rameka Poihipi	Ngāti Whakaue	Canterbury	Chiefs
Billy Proctor	Ngāi Te Rangi / Ngāpuhi	Wellington	Hurricanes
Bailyn Sullivan*	Ngāti Kahungunu	Waikato	Hurricanes
Outside Backs
Connor Garden-Bachop*	Ngāti Awa	Wellington	Highlanders
Josh Moorby*	Ngāti Maniapoto	Northland	Hurricanes
Zarn Sullivan*	Ngāti Kahungunu	Auckland	Blues
Shaun Stevenson	Ngāpuhi	North Harbour	Chiefs