Southland pair make New Zealand squad

JOHN HAWKINS/Southland Times

SELECTED: Tuki Raimona and Scott Eade working out at Rugby Park.

Southland have added two more New Zealand age-group rugby representatives to its list.

Southland Boys' High School students Scott Eade and Tuki Raimona were yesterday included in the 2010 New Zealand secondary schools rugby squad.

New Zealand Schools coach Karl Jones and his assistant-coach Andrew Douglas named a squad of 24 players following the annual top four first XV rugby tournament which finished in Rotorua yesterday.

The New Zealand schools team will assemble this month to prepare for a three-game campaign which will end with the annual derby against the Australian schools team in Dunedin on October 6.

Raimona is a strong prop who impressed the selectors with some good performances for the Southern team at the national regional tournament in July.

Eade is a skilful first five-eighth who has good vision in leading a team around the field.

Southland have progressed 10 forwards to national schools honours since 1990.

However, Eade is just the third back in the past two decades to make the New Zealand team, joining Jeff Wilson in 1992 and Robbie Robinson in 2007.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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