4 Jun 2012

North vs South squads named

1:32 pm on 4 June 2012

The squads for Sunday's North versus South rugby match in Dunedin have been named.

All but one of the 44 players have been selected from the Super Rugby competition for the fundraiser, which will be played in the roofed Forsyth-Barr stadium the afternoon after the first All Blacks test against Ireland at Eden Park.

National sevens representative Charles Piutau has been picked for the North Island squad, which is otherwise made up of players from the Blues, Chiefs and Hurricanes franchises.

The former All Blacks Brendon Leonard, Alby Mathewson, Lelia Masaga and Scott Waldrom headline Graham Mourie's North squad, along with recent All Blacks wider training squad member Brad Shields.

The South Island is coached by Tony Gilbert and boasts 14 Highlanders and eight Crusaders, with former All Blacks Jimmy Cowan, Jarrad Hoeata, Tom Donnelly and Jamie Mackintosh, with recent All Blacks wider training squad member Luke Whitelock also in the squad.

It's the first time the fixture has been played since 1995, when it was also played in Dunedin, and was resurrected to reimburse the Dunedin City Council for its help saving the Otago Rugby Union from financial oblivion.

Bizarrely due to the selection criteria being based on a player's Super Rugby allegiances rather than birthplace, the likes of Southland's Robbie Robinson represents the North while Taranaki's Kurt Baker is in the South side.

North Island

Forwards:

Jeffery Toomaga-Allen (Hurricanes)

Toby Smith (Chiefs)

Josh Hohneck (Chiefs)

Dane Coles (Hurricanes)

Tom McCartney (Blues)

James Broadhurst (Hurricanes)

Michael Fitzgerald (Chiefs)

Filo Paulo (Blues)

Faifili Levave (Hurricanes)

Brad Shields (Hurricanes)

Scott Waldrom (Chiefs)

Luke Braid (Blues)

Backs:

Brendon Leonard (Chiefs)

Alby Mathewson (Blues)

Andrew Horrell (Chiefs)

Hadleigh Parkes (Blues)

Richard Buckman (Hurricanes)

Charles Piutau (New Zealand Sevens)

David Raikuna (Blues)

Lelia Masaga (Chiefs)

Lachie Munro (Blues)

Robbie Robinson (Chiefs)

South Island

Forwards:

Jamie Mackintosh (Highlanders)

Chris King (Highlanders)

Ma'afu Fia (Highlanders)

Jason Rutledge (Highlanders)

Quentin MacDonald (Crusaders)

Jarrad Hoeata (Highlanders)

Tom Donnelly (Crusaders)

Culum Retallick (Highlanders)

Tim Boys (Highlanders)

Scott Fuglistaller (Highlanders)

Matt Todd (Crusaders)

Luke Whitelock (Crusaders)

Backs:

Jimmy Cowan (Highlanders)

Willi Heinz (Crusaders)

Tom Marshall (Crusaders)

Glenn Dickson (Highlanders)

Kendrick Lynn (Highlanders)

Adam Whitelock (Crusaders)

Kade Poki (Highlanders)

Buxton Poppali'i (Highlanders)

Patrick Osbourne (Crusaders)

Kurt Baker (Highlanders)