Bay of Plenty's Joe Tupe is part of a fresh crop of Sevens talent tasked with not only continuing the All Black side's commanding world dominance but qualifying the nation for the 2016 Olympic Games.
Bay of Plenty's Joe Tupe on the charge against Hawke's Bay in a preseason match. Photo: Rick Moran.
All Blacks Sevens coach Sir Grodon Tietjens today unveiled his contracted squad for the 2014/15 IRB HSBC Sevens World Series – featuring a total of six new faces.
The other new caps are 20-year-old Jordan Bunce, Wellington loose forward Murphy Taramai, Counties Manukau centre Sam Vaka, and the Otago pairing of fullback Tony Ensor and Fa'asiu Fuatai.
Helping ease the flow of newcomers is a core of experienced players including long serving captain DJ Forbes, 2013 IRB Sevens Player of the Year Tim Mikkelson, 2014 IRB Sevens Dream Team member Scott Curry and 2014 IRB Sevens Rookie of the Year Ambrose Curtis.
At 109kg and 190cm, Tupe adds considerable size and speed around the park, give the side has lost Bryce Heem and Ben Lam to Super Rugby contracts.
Making the move from Auckland two seasons ago, 23-year-old Tupe has been a constant club threat with Greerton Marist, before injury hampered this season's ITM Cup campaign.
Previously he was a member of the De La Salle 1st XV that won the Auckland Championship in 2008 and went on to captain the team in 2009. He has played for New Zealand Secondary Schools and several Auckland age-group representative teams.
'It's a competitive squad and it will be quite challenging for me to take the right 12 away for any given tournament. When you have competition, particularly from the younger players, it will put pressure on the experienced players and that's healthy for sevens,” says Sir Titch.
Sir Titch will finalise the full contracted squad following January's national Sevens in Rotorua.
The finalised squad means there is no room for Rangataua's matt Clutterbuck who played the opening leg of the world series on the Gold Coast last month.
The All Blacks Sevens are the reigning HSBC Sevens World Series champions having secured their 12th title and fourth in a row last season.
The team is currently fifth after the first tournament of the year on the Gold Coast. Sir Titch names his 12 players for Dubai and Port Elizabeth next Thursday.
The top four teams in the 2014/15 World Series automatically qualify for the Rio Olympics.
'It's always a focus to be in the top four. If we can do as well as we can in every tournament and excel then qualifying will take care of itself.
'We need to be consistent like we were in the World Series last season. If we can continue with that consistency and do very well in Dubai and on to South Africa, it will get us off the start we need moving on to the fourth tournament in Wellington in February.”
Contracted squad for the 2014/15 IRB HSBC Sevens World Series:
Jordan Bunce – Manawatu
Tomasi Cama – Manawatu
Scott Curry – Bay of Plenty
Ambrose Curtis – Wellington
Sam Dickson – Canterbury
Tony Ensor – Otago
DJ Forbes – Counties Manukau
Fa'asiu Fuatai – Otago
Gillies Kaka – Hawke's Bay
Tim Mikkelson – Waikato
Declan O'Donnell – Waikato
Lote Raikabula – Wellington
Sherwin Stowers – Counties Manukau
Murphy Taramai – Wellington
Joe Tupe – Bay of Plenty
Joe Webber – Waikato
Sam Vaka – Counties Manukau
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