New Zealand Rugby names inaugural Under 85kg national team

New Zealand’s leading under 85kg players are set to wear the black jersey for the first time with the national representative team announced today.

The team is headlined by 12 players from the nail-biting National Club Cup Final with High School Old Boys out of Christchurch (7) and Pakuranga from Auckland (5) the most represented of the 13 clubs featured in the squad.

While this is the first official New Zealand Under 85kg squad, the team is not short of topflight experience. Jarred Percival has previously played for the New Zealand Heartland XV, while some international flavour is included courtesy of former Dutch international Tyler Koning and England Under 18 prop Tom Rowland.

There are club stalwarts littered across the squad, with Matt Treeby playing more than 200 matches for Tawa, Luke Eyre with 124 appearances for Massey and Ben Biggelaar playing 118 matches for Pakuranga.

New Zealand Rugby’s Head of Rugby Participation Mike Hester said this squad announcement is a fitting bookend to the 2024 Under 85kg season.

“If the thrilling Final in Wellington was anything to go by, we can expect that this squad will come together to showcase everything we love about this grade of rugby; speed, skill and comradery.” 

“Having an international stage to do that on is not only a great opportunity for this group of men but also for the promotion of weight restricted rugby,” said Hester.

A selection panel was made up from representatives across the country and took into consideration performances from the 2024 Under 85kg National Club Cup competition, alongside regional club competitions. 

The team will be coached by Ngatai Walker, who is currently the skills coach for Manawatu and has previously worked with the Hurricanes Poua, Taranaki Development and New Zealand Secondary Schools teams.

New Zealand Rugby are currently in discussions with another National Union about the overseas tour in 2025. National Under 85kg selections have been named in recent years but never assembled, the first weight-restricted representative side was assembled by the Barbarians in 2012 and featured Morrinsville’s Simon Sia who is selected again in 2024.

The Barbarians are still involved to this day and are a key contributor in making this tour come to life. 

“The New Zealand Barbarians Rugby Club is committed to growing Rugby in New Zealand and are proud of our long association with, and promotion of, weight restricted rugby. We are excited by the selection of this team which provides the opportunity for players from this grade to play international rugby and most importantly for these trail blazers, to make lifelong friendships by touring together,” said Barbarians Club Captain Peter White. 

The New Zealand Under 85kg team is (Club team/Provincial Union);

FORWARDS
Pasia Asiata (Poneke Wanderers, Wellington)
Ben Biggelaar (Pakuranga Black Panthers, Auckland)
Rory Cavanagh (Pakuranga Black Panthers, Auckland)
Lewis Craik (Morrinsville Majestic Pukekos, Waikato)
Jeandre Du Toit (Pakuranga Black Panthers, Auckland)
Luke Eyre (Massey Rock n Rumble, North Harbour)
Josh Gellert (Auckland University Slug Collectors, Auckland)
Frazer Harrison (Auckland University Squids, Auckland)
Tyler Koning (High School Old Boys Light Bears, Canterbury)
Jack Laity (Auckland University Slug Collectors, Auckland)
Callum Nimmo (High School Old Boys Light Bears, Canterbury)
Ridgley Paxton (Karaka Razzlers, Counties Manukau)
Josh Purdon (High School Old Boys Light Bears, Canterbury)
Tom Rowland (Eden Lizards, Auckland)
Simon Sia (Morrinsville Majestic Pukekos, Waikato)
Matt Treeby (Tawa Ducks, Wellington)

BACKS 
Campbell Busby (Auckland University Squids, Auckland)
Taine Cordell Hull (High School Old Boys Light Bears, Canterbury)
Jackson Ephraims (Takapuna Bombers, North Harbour)
Ben Megson (Grammar TEC Old Boys, Auckland)
Ned Milne (High School Old Boys Light Bears, Canterbury)
Francis Morrison (Pakuranga Black Panthers, Auckland)
Jarred Percival (High School Old Boys Light Bears, Canterbury)
Jamie Petford (Pakuranga Black Panthers, Auckland)
Adam Preston (Tawa Ducks, Wellington)
Eamon Reilly (Ponsonby Hustlers, Auckland)
Ben Scott (High School Old Boys Light Bears, Canterbury)
Pieter Swarts (East Coast Bays Badgers, North Harbour)

Coach: Ngatai Walker
Manager: Grant Wilson

Wider Squad / Injury Cover
Jono Kilsby (High School Old Boys Light Bears, Canterbury)
Ethan James (Karaka Razzlers, Counties Manukau)
Will Boswell (Auckland University Slug Collectors, Auckland)
Kees Jansen (Old Boys University Scallywags, Wellington) 

Not considered due to eligibility 
Ofa Leaamanu (Karaka Razzlers, Counties Manukau)
Jone Muakalou (Karaka Razzlers, Counties Manukau)