NPC 2026

@Bovidae said in NPC 2026:

Waikato will have a Japanese player too - a halfback from Kobe.

Waikato Rugby is delighted to announce the signing of Japanese international scrum-half Daiki Nakajima, who will join the province for the 2026 Hilux NPC season.

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Assuming Roe will play a final season of NPC before leaving for Sale, Nakajima will be the third halfback in the squad (excluding Ratima) along with Rui Farrant.

I find it odd that Japanese players get a gig here during the NPC but Japanese based former Wellington players like Perenara, Ieremia, TJay Clarke etc for example can't come back?

Has a deal been done between NZ Rugby and Japan Rugby, why are there so many Japanese players taking up spots in our provincial teams, it seems wrong?

@Yeetyaah I've been thinking about a possible Waikato squad. Leuila could also play 2nd 5, as he has before. Otherwise it would be a Anderson/Tuivailala midfield. With Moorby in the ABs and no LCF I would now expect that Cook-Savage starts at fullback. There could be a few from club rugby that are promoted.

@Canes4life said in NPC 2026:

@Bovidae said in NPC 2026:

Waikato will have a Japanese player too - a halfback from Kobe.

Waikato Rugby is delighted to announce the signing of Japanese international scrum-half Daiki Nakajima, who will join the province for the 2026 Hilux NPC season.

View embedded content

Assuming Roe will play a final season of NPC before leaving for Sale, Nakajima will be the third halfback in the squad (excluding Ratima) along with Rui Farrant.

I find it odd that Japanese players get a gig here during the NPC but Japanese based former Wellington players like Perenara, Ieremia, TJay Clarke etc for example can't come back?

Has a deal been done between NZ Rugby and Japan Rugby, why are there so many Japanese players taking up spots in our provincial teams, it seems wrong?

Without doing any research whatsoever - arent the guys we recieve typically younger development players? The Japanese clubs may be happy for these guys to go away and get some experience, while preferring to keep their expensive stars on ice. Wonder if they contribute to salarys for these guys

@DurryMexted said in NPC 2026:

@Canes4life said in NPC 2026:

@Bovidae said in NPC 2026:

Waikato will have a Japanese player too - a halfback from Kobe.

Waikato Rugby is delighted to announce the signing of Japanese international scrum-half Daiki Nakajima, who will join the province for the 2026 Hilux NPC season.

View embedded content

Assuming Roe will play a final season of NPC before leaving for Sale, Nakajima will be the third halfback in the squad (excluding Ratima) along with Rui Farrant.

I find it odd that Japanese players get a gig here during the NPC but Japanese based former Wellington players like Perenara, Ieremia, TJay Clarke etc for example can't come back?

Has a deal been done between NZ Rugby and Japan Rugby, why are there so many Japanese players taking up spots in our provincial teams, it seems wrong?

Without doing any research whatsoever - arent the guys we recieve typically younger development players? The Japanese clubs may be happy for these guys to go away and get some experience, while preferring to keep their expensive stars on ice. Wonder if they contribute to salarys for these guys

Exactly this. There's no benefit to the Japanese clubs for their top players that will play week in and week out also getting development minutes in the NPC.

@Mr-Fish said in NPC 2026:

@DurryMexted said in NPC 2026:

@Canes4life said in NPC 2026:

@Bovidae said in NPC 2026:

Waikato will have a Japanese player too - a halfback from Kobe.

Waikato Rugby is delighted to announce the signing of Japanese international scrum-half Daiki Nakajima, who will join the province for the 2026 Hilux NPC season.

View embedded content

Assuming Roe will play a final season of NPC before leaving for Sale, Nakajima will be the third halfback in the squad (excluding Ratima) along with Rui Farrant.

I find it odd that Japanese players get a gig here during the NPC but Japanese based former Wellington players like Perenara, Ieremia, TJay Clarke etc for example can't come back?

Has a deal been done between NZ Rugby and Japan Rugby, why are there so many Japanese players taking up spots in our provincial teams, it seems wrong?

Without doing any research whatsoever - arent the guys we recieve typically younger development players? The Japanese clubs may be happy for these guys to go away and get some experience, while preferring to keep their expensive stars on ice. Wonder if they contribute to salarys for these guys

Exactly this. There's no benefit to the Japanese clubs for their top players that will play week in and week out also getting development minutes in the NPC.

There must be a reason we take them on though, because i dont recall many of these guys playing many games. Think Wellington had a halfway decent prop one year but otherwise they tend to be squaddies at best. You'd think they would be preferring to develop NZ based players, so there might be a financial relief function where the Japanese club is still paying them?

Some PUs have relationships with Japanese clubs where they have player exchanges and coaching clinics in Japan. Kobe is obviously Rennie's now-former club, and the new Waikato coach was a coach in Japan himself.

Daiki Nakajima isn't young (30) and was the reserve halfback for Kobe. I can understand this decision if Roe won't be around for the full NPC, and the other more experienced halfback (Marsh) from last year isn't there either. In fact, two other recent Waikato squad halfbacks are now in the NH and Taranaki squads. Farrant is a good young halfback.

Voting is open for this:

Wellington releasing their squad tonight at 5 apparently

Anyone going to the Harbour/Northland preseason game on Friday? (Wellsford)

@Tim I’m heading up for look on Friday
Will post a report post match

@mikey07 Taramai played one game for Wellington in 2014 - so it's not his first contract with the Lions

@UpTheHarbs Obviously the social media person is too young to remember that, because I do.

Riley Williams must have moved from Canterbury. Moli is working his way through the PUs.

Good to see the NZ U20 players in there. Naitokani is one of the club players I thought would be a chance given he played for the Waikato XV against HKC. Will need another hooker in the squad.

No Tepaea Cook-Savage though?

@Bovidae A Taipari Quinn and a Quinn Tupaea in same team?!

@Bovidae Not many outside backs there. Is Mathis considered a flanker or a winger ....or both still ?

@Kiwidom said in NPC 2026:

Not many outside backs there.

Yeah, especially with no TCS, LCF, and with Moorby in the ABs. Sinkinson probably plays at fullback now with Tuivailala on the wing. They might need to add a couple of extra players (e.g., Zac Carr, Kurtis Hana).

Is Mathis considered a flanker or a winger ....or both still ?

Good question. As M Jacobson is the captain Mathis won't be starting at 7, and Brown would play ahead of him too. Loose forward is a position of strength as there are a couple of other quality loosies who can't even make the squad. More likely on the wing then.

@Bovidae said in NPC 2026:

@Kiwidom said in NPC 2026:

Not many outside backs there.

Yeah, especially with no TCS, LCF, and with Moorby in the ABs. Sinkinson probably plays at fullback now with Tuivailala on the wing. They might need to add a couple of extra players (e.g., Zac Carr, Kurtis Hana).

Is Mathis considered a flanker or a winger ....or both still ?

Good question. As M Jacobson is the captain Mathis won't be starting at 7, and Brown would play ahead of him too. Loose forward is a position of strength as there are a couple of other quality loosies who can't even make the squad. More likely on the wing then.

Mathis has spoken about putting his wing days behind him, spent this year adding weight for the loose forwards.

@WoodysRFC said in NPC 2026:

Mathis has spoken about putting his wing days behind him, spent this year adding weight for the loose forwards.

I'll be intrigued to see what he looks like now. He looked good when playing 7 previously, but as I say, the captain will be playing in the same position. Maybe a super-sub.

Edit: he does definitely look bigger.

Salabiau and Lewai are both options on the wing.

They could also call up Ollie Guerin from the nz u20s. Fullback Dallas Rata Makene looked good at the under 20s trials also

Im a fan of Andrew Smith,but cant see him getting much game time with such a stacked group of loose forwards named. I think he needs to move provinces

@Kiwidom said in NPC 2026:

They could also call up Ollie Guerin from the nz u20s. Fullback Dallas Rata Makene looked good at the under 20s trials also

Guerin will be in the Waikato U20s, or perhaps the Waikato Development team (Harlequins), but a possibility. Unfortunately when I saw Dallas Rata-Makene at his club game a month or so ago he had a knee brace on. So that suggests a serious injury and would explain why his name disappeared from the NZ U20 standby player list for the JWC.

Razors son Macklan Robertson is on the bench for Canterburys pre season v Ta$man tomorrow,He has had a very good Club season.

Another game live streamed:

That Naki vs Wellington stream is a shocker, keeps bouncing around and then replaying itself. Also keeps lagging.

Otago v Mid-Canterbury stream

@canes4life said in NPC 2026:

That Naki vs Wellington stream is a shocker, keeps bouncing around and then replaying itself. Also keeps lagging.

The location probably doesn't help.

BOP 36 Auckland 31

@george33 said in NPC 2026:

BOP 36 Auckland 31

@duluth I need a dislike button, stat.

Canterbury 31 Ta$man 26

Taranaki 21 - Wellington 14

As posted Harbour 31 Northland 19

Halftime 14-12

Unfortunately could’nt attend as we had a family breavement

Feedback that i got the North̄and forwards in the main dominated the first half in puggy conditions

Rob Rush ,Josh Goodhue and James Mulllen the best of the Taniwha forwards

Nathon Salmon was the outstanding back scoring a good try and constantly breaking tackles

Salmon also impressed under the high ball

My contact caught up with Salmon post match he was asked about the standard of the MLR to which he answered a very rubbish version of the NPC not a surprise to hear this

All 3 hookers used by the taniwha impressed

Northland used all their bench in the 2nd nostly development and academy players

Grady Forbes and Zak Shanks stood out as Wellsford flyer Xavier Tenboom only small but extremely rapid

Henare Pairangi continues to impress as a player with a massive future showing some very sharp touches

Harbour fielded a big pack with Bryn Hall starting at 9 and Cam Howell at 10

Howell guilty of kicking away to much possesion in the first half

Definetly more accurate in the 2nd half some nice tries put together which can be found on the Harbour Facebook site

Good hit for both teams with starting players to return for R1

Counties beat Southland 45-26.

Waikato played Hawke's Bay in Taupō. I haven't seen any team lists or a score.

@bovidae said in NPC 2026:

Counties beat Southland 45-26.

that is a very long-range pre-season trial match up (at Manurewa?)

Waikato v Hawkes Bay score was 52-48 to HB. Majority of Waikato Super players not available.