Waikato under-21 side to trip south

Waikato Rugby Union is to send an under-21 team on a three-match southern tour early next month, playing teams from Canterbury, Otago and Wellington.

The tour is a first for Waikato, which no longer fields an under-21 side in competitions, with the northern region championship these days having an under-20 age limit.

WRU high performance manager Mike Crawford said a touring squad of under-21 players would be selected over the next few weeks with a squad of 26 players being taken away by coaches Howie King and Josh Hay.

Waikato will play Canterbury in Christchurch on Saturday, October 2, Otago in Dunedin on Tuesday, October 5, and Wellington in Wellington on Saturday, October 9.

"We're not going to be able to make our selections for the final few touring positions until late in the week we go because of the movement of players between the ITM Cup squad and the Development team, which also has a game against Northland the first weekend the under-21 side is away and then potentially quarterfinals after that," Crawford said.

The bulk of the touring squad will comprise Waikato Under-20 players, whose northern region competition finishes on September 18. "This is an opportunity for a legitimate under-21 side to go down there and experience what it means to tour in a professional high performance environment with short turnarounds between games.

"We're definitely trying to take the strongest possible team we can within reason to compete with these traditionally strong provinces that normally our guys don't get to compete against."

This is the first time Waikato have sent under-21 teams away outside the northern region since the days of the annual under-21 quadrangular tournament between Waikato, Auckland, Manawatu and Wellington.

Crawford said it was hoped to create a regular interchange at under-21 level with Wellington, Canterbury and Otago but that would depend on finances and the willingness of those provinces to send teams north.

There are plans to send an under-21 side to Japan next year to be hosted by Meiji University, which recently sent two forward packs to Waikato for specialist coaching for its domestic competition.

- © Fairfax NZ News