Meet the 2024 Stags: A player by player rundown
The Southland Stags have named their squad for the 2024 NPC season.
The 2024 SBS Southland Stags squad was officially announced on Monday at the Invercargill Blues Rugby Club. Logan Savory provides a rundown on each of the players named.
PROPS
Joe Walsh
Walsh has become a mainstay in the Stags since making the shift from Waikato to Southland in 2016
The 30-year-old loosehead prop joins the 2024 Stags squad after another Southland club rugby season with Woodlands.
Jack Sexton
The 2019 New Zealand secondary schools prop joined the Stags as injury cover late last year.
Sexton, 23, had been playing for Canterbury B this season while sitting on the fringes of the Canterbury squad.
The son of former Crusaders hooker Matt Sexton made the permanent move to Southland this year and was a key figure in helping Star to a Galbraith Shield title.
Hunter Fahey
The former Verdon College pupil made a remarkable rise to make his Stags debut as a 20-year-old last season after only a couple of seasons playing prop. Before that he played hooker.
Fahey has been playing for Dunedin in Dunedin’s premier club competition but will miss this weekend’s final with a finger injury.
Morgan Mitchell
Mitchell has long been one of the Stags’ most consistent performers in an NPC career which started in 2014 and was only broken up by some stints playing overseas.
The 30-year-old heads into the 2024 NPC on the back of a club campaign with the Eastern-Northern Barbarians.
Hamdahn Tuipulotu
Tuipulotu has previously been part of the Auckland NPC setup but last year joined the Stags late in the season as injury cover.
Like Sexton Tuipulotu has also opted to make the permanent move to Southland this season joining the Marist Rugby Club in Invercargill.
Tuipulotu is the younger brother of All Blacks lock Patrick Tuipulotu.
Paula Latu
Latu made the move from Hawke’s Bay in 2021 and has remained connected to the Woodlands Rugby Club and Stags since.
Latu, who has spent some time in the Moana Pasifika setup, missed last season’s NPC game after being called into the Tongan squad for the Rugby World Cup.
Latu’s club season has been hindered by a calf injury.
Ethan de Groot
We probably don’t have to delve into de Groot’s pedigree. de Groot is a proud Southland Stag, but we probably won’t see him playing in the maroon jersey this year because of his All Black commitments.
HOOKERS
Jack Taylor
Taylor emerged through the Southland age-group system and was a key figure in the Southland Boys’ High School first XV.
He made his NPC debut last season and was the Stags frontline hooker. Taylor has been a regular off the bench with the Highlanders in Super Rugby this year.
Jacob Payne
Payne is another former Southland Boys’ hooker who made his Stags debut in 2021 against Taranaki.
The 23-year-old progress in recent seasons has been hindered by injury and deserve a bit of luck during the 2024 NPC on that front.
Payne again lined up for Blues in Southland’s club competition this year.
Nic Souchon
Souchon previously played for Otago and Bay of Plenty at NPC level before last joining the Stags as injury cover.
This year the Stags decision-makers has made the move to contract him prior to the start of the NPC campaign.
He joins the Stags on the back of a season playing in the Major League Rugby competition in the United States.
LOCKS
Mitchell Dunshea
Dunshea is one of the Stags major offseason signings. The 28-year-old previously played 55 games for Canterbury and a further 38 for the Crusaders.
That was before the 2015 New Zealand U20 player this year joined the Highlanders and then opted to join Southland for the NPC.
Shneil Singh
The 27-year-old joined the Stags for his first season last season transferring from Waikato. He has previously played for Toyota Verblitz in Japan and has been playing in the Major League Rugby competition in the United States in the lead up to the 2024 campaign with the Stags.
Josh Bekhuis
Bekhuis needs little introduction given he’s racked up over 130 games in the maroon jersey of Southland, not to mention his 110 games at Super Rugby level and stints playing in France and Japan.
The 38-year-old helped Star to a Galbraith Shield title in the lead-up to the Stags season.
Woody Kirkwood
Kirkwood has played for North Otago at Heartland level and previously knocked on the door of NPC rugby with Otago after being part of its academy system.
The 2023 Southland B player of the year has taken the toughest route to a Stags contract this year juggling his commitments as a builder with the required training requirements.
The Te Anau product lined up for the Eastern-Northern Barbarians in Southland club rugby this year.
LOOSE FORWARDS
Hayden Michaels
Michaels emerged out of Gore High School as one of Southland rugby’s more promising prospects and made his Stags debut in 2021.
The 22-year-old former New Zealand U20s rep was part of the Highlanders Super Rugby squad this year. He played for the Kaikorai club in Dunedin.
Michaels is carrying an elbow injury which is expected to sideline him for the start of the 2024 NPC season at least.
Leroy Ferguson
Ferguson was a real find for the Stags in 2023 after transferring from Otago in search of some NPC game time.
The 22-year-old openside flanker played seven matches last year and in the lead up to the 2024 NPC has had his second season with the Gore-based Barbarians club.
Sean Withy
Withy was the off-season signing Southland rugby needed. Withy progressed through Southland age-group ranks and captained Southland Boys’ High School before heading to university in Dunedin.
He ended up playing and captaining Otago at NPC level before this year deciding to return home to pull on the Southland jersey.
The 23-year-old had a big campaign with the Highlanders in Super Rugby this year.
Blair Ryall
The former Crusaders Development looseforward joined the Stags midseason in 2022 as injury cover and made an immediate impression.
Last year he made the fulltime move to Southland joining the Woodlands club and went on to be a star performer for the Stags in 2023 - so much so that he was named the Stags Player of the Year.
Dylan Nel
The 31-year-old No 8 has previously played provincial rugby for West Coast, Canterbury, and Otago on his way to playing three Super Rugby games for the Chiefs in 2020.
Last year Nel joined the Southland as a key Stags signing but his season was cut short by injury.
It initially was thought Nel wouldn’t be back with Southland in 2024 but that has changed. Nel has been playing in the Major League Rugby competition in the lead up to the NPC season.
Semisi Tupou Taeiloa
The former Otago Boys’ High School player who represented New Zealand at U19 level joined the Southland Stags last year on a four-year contract.
The 20-year-old played nine games in his debut NPC season with the Stags.
The young No 8 will enter the 2024 NPC on the back of a massive club season with Star and was probably the best player in Southland’s premier club competition.
HALFBACKS
Connor Collins
Collins has previously played 37 games at NPC level for Canterbury and Wellington and was a key pick-up for the Stags after Conor McLeod was ruled out of the NPC season with a knee injury.
The 26-year-old made the move to Southland to link up with the Eastern-Northern Barbarians for the back end of the club season.
Jay Renton
Renton burst onto the scene in 2017 making his debut for the Stags in his first year out of Southland Boys’ High School and later that year was picked up by the Highlanders on a short-term contract.
Injuries have hindered the former NZ U20 progress although has been a regular Stags fixture during the past couple of seasons.
Renton is currently in the United States for the Major Rugby League competition although hasn’t got a lot of game time with the Houston Sabercats. .
Houston is likely to progress to the final which will mean Renton will be an unlikely starter for round one of the NPC.
Lachlan Albert
Albert is a former Australian schoolboys and under-20 halfback who was part of the New South Wales academy system during his schooldays.
In 2019 he signed a three-year deal with the Brumbies but played just the one Super Rugby game.
He joined the Star Rugby Club in Invercargill this year to push for a spot in the Stags. He has been signed on a four-week contract to date as it appears he and Liam Howley still are going head-to-head for the third halfback spot for the remainder of the season.
Liam Howley
Howley has been in and out of the Stags setup for many years now. The 28-year-old worked hard to return to the Stags in 2023 but cruelly suffered a season-ending injury in round one last year.
His club rugby season has also been hindered for various reasons although did produce a strong showing for Woodlands in their semifinal showdown against Star.
As mentioned, it appears Howley is still in a head-to-head battle with Albert over the next month for the third halfback spot.
FIRST FIVE-EIGHTH
Jason Robertson
With the season-ending injury to Dan Hollinshead the Stags had to in search of another experienced first five-eighth and they came up with Jason Robertson.
The 29-year-old has previously played NPC rugby for Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and Counties Manukau before heading of in 2021 to play in France.
In the lead up to the 2024 NPC season Robertson has been playing for Old Glory DC in the United States.
Byron Smith
Smith was born and bred in Australia and progressed through the Queensland under-16 and under-18 rugby ranks while attending Nudgee College in Brisbane.
When he departed school in 2021 he joined the Auckland academy system. He went on to play for the New Zealand U19 in 2022, helped the Blues win the U20 Super Rugby competition in 2023, and was also named the Blues development player of the year.
He opted to sign with Southland this year in search of NPC game time. Smith was part of the Galbraith Shield-winning Star team in Southland club rugby this year.
Kaea Nikora-Balloch
Nikora-Balloch emerged from Southland Boys’ High School as a promising prospect and was set to play for the Highlanders U20 team only for a shoulder injury to ruin his 2022 season.
He helped Pirates-Old Boys win a Galbraith Shield title in 2023 before starting the 2024 club season in impressive form playing both fullback and first five-eighth.
A quad injury ruled him out of the second half of the club season although the 20-year-old had done enough to earn a Stags contract for the 2024 NPC season.
FIRST FIVE | FULLBACK
Jake Strachan
The 27-year-old has previously played for the Force in Super Rugby and this year was part of the Melbourne Rebels in their final season of Super Rugby.
When it appeared Strachan was in search of a contract the Stags pounced and managed to land his signature.
He has played 37 games at Super Rugby level and may end up being an asset at first five-eighth for the Stags. Although he is an option to play fullback as well.
MIDFIELD
Matt Whaanga
After some time with Otago Whaanga made the shift to Southland in search of more opportunities in 2021 and quickly became an important part of the Stags setup and continue to over the past three seasons.
The former South Otago High School pupil was this year part of the Highlanders Super Rugby squad.
Angus Simmers
Simmers played his way into the Stags mix last year through his work in the offseason followed by his club form with the Eastern-Northern Barbarians.
The 24-year-old is one of many current promising rugby products who have emerged out of Eastern Southland. Simmers spent some time at John McGlashan in Dunedin before returning home and joined the Barbarians.
While he didn’t get a lot of game time during the 2023 NPC season, he has again done enough in club rugby to book another Stags contract in 2024.
Charlie Powell
Powell is a former England U20 player who was part of the Bristol Bears Premiership team before joining Jersey Reds on loan in 2022 to play in the English Championship competition.
Jersey Reds won the Championship competition last year but later in the year it was revealed the club would cease trading because of financial troubles.
He has now opted to have a crack laying for the Stags in New Zealand.
Isaac Te Tamaki
Welcome back Isaac Te Tamaki. The former New Zealand sevens player transferred from Waikato to Southland in 2018 and made in impact on the wing for the Stags.
He eventually shifted into centre and was one of the better defensive midfielders in the NPC competition but struggled to attract Super Rugby interest.
After the 2023 club season with Pirates-Old Boys Te Tamaki headed to France to take up a contract but has this year opted to return to Southland to again line up for the Stags in the NPC.
OUTSIDE BACKS
Michael Manson
Manson represented New Zealand at the secondary schools level while attending Otago Boys’ High School.
He got a taste of NPC rugby with Otago in 2021 before linking with Southland for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
The 23-year-old’s sublime pace has become a real asset for the Stags.
He has been playing for the Utah Warriors in the United States in the leadup to the Stags NPC campaign.
Viliami Fine
Fine attended St Bernard’s College in Wellington and joined the Petone club out of school where he played 80 premier games.
He eventually headed south for opportunities, first with Otago, in search of NPC game time.
Fine was contracted in 2021 and made six appearances for Otago. Although he missed out on the Otago squad in 2022 and found a lifeline with the Southland Stags.
He has been a key figure on the wing in 2022 and 2023 which earned him a Super Rugby contract with Moana Pasifika this year.
Rory van Vugt
van Vugt has developed into a regular and important figure in the Stags setup since debuting in 2018.
The former South Otago pupil initially linked with Southland to play sevens before capturing the interest of those involved in the 15s format.
He has played on both the wing and at fullback for the Stags.
van Vugt has most recently been playing in the United States in the Major League Rugby competition.
Sevu Reece
Reece was the Stags most high-profile off-season signing although it would be a surprise to see him feature in the Southland jersey in a playing capacity this year because of his All Black commitments.
Solid squad Stags