Bay of Plenty Rugby's rising stars will have the chance to test themselves against international competition in this year's Chiefs Development squad and programme.

On Tuesday, the Chiefs announced their 49-man development training squad and programme for 2013, including three matches in March, with 12 Bay of Plenty players selected.

Bay of Plenty halfback Josh Hall is one of 12 to be selected for the Chiefs development squad.

The players include, prop Pingi Tala'apitaga, locks Keepa Mewett and Troy Callander, flanker Carl Axtens and halfback Josh Hall.

The squad has been selected to play three first class matches against the Blues development team followed by matches against Tonga ‘A' and Samoa ‘A' as part of the IRB Pacific Rugby Cup.

The teams to play the matches will be selected from the development squad players together with available Chiefs squad and wider squad members.

The Chiefs Development training squad includes a wider group of selected ITM Cup players and younger players from the chiefs region to receive skills coaching sessions by Chiefs coaches Dave Rennie, Tom Coventry, Andrew Strawbridge and Wayne Smith.

Development coaches Johnny Walters, Carl Hoeft and Dave Dillon along with Bay of Plenty coach Kevin Schuler, Waikato coach Chris Gibbes and Counties Manukau coach Tana Umaga will also provide resource coach assistance at trainings when available.

Chiefs High Performance manager Chris Tindall says the programme is an important part of the chiefs season and the franchises approach to working together with the chiefs region provincial unions in the identifying, coaching and development of players for ITM Cup and Super Rugby.

Chris highlighted Counties Manukau centre Bundee Aki as a player who epitomises the programme.

'From his performance in the chief development programme last year Bundee earned selection as a Chiefs wider squad replacement during last season and being contracted for the 2013 Chiefs squad.”

Chiefs Development Team Matches

Sunday 10 March: Chiefs Development v Blues Development @ Eden Park , kick off early afternoon TBC
Saturday 23 March: Chiefs Development v Tonga ‘A' @ Te Kuiti, kick off 2.45pm
Thursday 28 March: Chiefs Development v Samoa ‘A' @ Albert Park, Te Awamutu, kick off 5.15pm

Tickets to the matches will be available on match day at the gate.

Chiefs Development Training Squad 2013

Props:
Matt Talaese (Counties Manukau)
Pingi Tala'apitaga (Bay of Plenty)
Loni Uhila (Waikato)
John Tu'ungafasi (Waikato)
Joe Walsh (Waikato)
Josh Davey (Waikato)

Hookers:
Suliasi Taufalele (Counties Manukau)
Nathan Harris (Bay of Plenty)
Kalifi Pongi (Counties Manukau)
Hame Faiva (Waikato)

Locks:
Sam Kilgour (Waikato)
Keepa Mewett (Bay of Plenty)
Nick Ross (Waikato)
Arin Dunstar (King Country)
Brian Alainu'uese (Waikato)
James Tucker (Waikato)
Troy Callander (Bay of Plenty)

Loose Forwards:
Johan Bardoul (Bay of Plenty)
Sonny Afililonga (Waikato)
Jacob Ale (Waikato)
Maama Vaipulu (Counties Manukau)
Jossan Levien (Waikato)
Kane Jacobson (Waikato)
Rory Grice (Waikato)
Carl Axtens (Bay of Plenty)
Adam Burn (Waikato)
Jeff Thwaites (Bay of Plenty)

Halfbacks:
Josh Hall (Bay of Plenty)
Jamie Nutbrown (Bay of Plenty)
Ruan du Ploy (Waikato)
Ben Draper (King Country)

First Fives:
Wharenui Hawera (Waikato)
Tom Halse (Counties Manukau)
Thomas Bird (Waikato)
Brook Treymayne (Thames Valley)

Midfield Backs:
Tyrone Lefau (Counties Manukau)
Jacob Proctor (Waikato)
Marnus Hanley (Waikato)
Anton Lienert-Brown (Waikato)
Niko Malo (Waikato)
Dillon Collier (Waikato)

Outside Backs:
Toni Pulu (Counties Manukau)
Junior Tofa-Va'a (Bay of Plenty)
Semisi Masirewa (Waikato)
Sione Molia (Counties Manukau)
Elijah Nicholas (Bay of Plenty)
Mason Walker (Bay of Plenty)
Joe Reynolds (Counties Manukau)
Joe Webber (Waikato)

Players not available due to injury:
Simon Lemalu (Counties Manukau), Fraser Armstrong (Waikato), Adam Cathcart (Counties-Manukau), Haami Martin (Waikato), Regan Ware (Waikato), Toby Arnold (Bay of Plenty) and Josh Gascoigne (Waikato)