Two weeks ago (to the day) marked the first match of the 2018 Mitre 10 Cup. In what has been an exciting first couple of rounds, we are reminded of the incredible depth of talent that continues to shine here in New Zealand.
While enjoying the games played throughout the first two rounds, our Staff enjoyed seeing so many familiar names on the team-sheets from week-to-week. Names that are familiar, because, in recent times they’d attended an IRANZ programme.
So we went about counting those players.
We counted a whopping 63 players named in the squads of the various provinces that have attended an IRANZ Player Course – officially marking them as one of our #IRANZGraduates.
In fact, we had at least 2 Graduates playing for every province in the Mitre10 Cup, bar Northland.
More over, this number doesn’t account for the large number of Graduates that have played Mitre10 Cup in the past, or never played in the competition – because they’ve taken the opportunity to play professionally offshore.
IRANZ Graduate Wes Goosen 
IRANZ Graduate Jamie Booth IRANZ Graduate Tiaan Falcon receiving Position-Specific Coaching from Tony Brown
The strength of New Zealand Rugby is the way it is today largely because of the depth of talent, in both players and coaches, that exists throughout the nation at grassroots level.
While it would be ridiculous for IRANZ to take all the credit for the achievements of these players – we are extremely proud to have played a role in their development, as well as a long list of others – and contributing to the continued success of New Zealand Rugby.
See the list below of a list of IRANZ Graduates from each province named in their respective 2018 Mitre10 Cup Squads:
Auckland
- Daniel Kirkpatrick
- Jamie Lane
- Leif Schwencke
- Taleni Seu
- Ofa Tu’ungafasi
Bay of Plenty
- Luke Campbell
- Matthew Garland
- Terrence Hepetema
- Trael Joass
Canterbury
- Ereatara Enari
- Codie Taylor
Counties Manukau
- Sam Henwood
- Cardiff Vaega
Hawkes Bay
- Michael Allardice
- Hannon Brighouse
- Mason Emerson
- Tiaan Falcon
- Jason Long
- Marino Mikaele-Tu’u
- Ben Power
- Shae Tucker
Manawatu
- Fraser Armstrong
- Jamie Booth
- Tim Cadwallader
- Nick Crosswell
- Liam Hallam-Eames
- Jackson Hemopo
- Antonio Kirikiri
- Sam Malcolm
- Hamish Northcott
- Sean Paranihi
- Jade Te Rure
- Rob Thompson
North Harbour
- Chris Eves
- Ben Nee-nee
Otago
- Donald Brighouse
- Mitch Scott
- Aki Seiuli
Southland
- Wade McCrae
- Aleki Morris
- Manaaki Selby
- James Wilson
Taranaki
- Fin Hoeata
- Leighton Price
Tasman
- Finlay Christie
- Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta
- Liam Squire
- Quinten Strange
Waikato
- Haereiti Hetet
- Jordan Manihera
- Raniera Takarangi
- Fletcher Smith
Wellington
- Leni Apisai
- Asafo Aumua
- James Blackwell
- Tolu Fahamokioa
- Vaea Fifita
- Losi Filipo
- Wes Goosen
- Mateaki Kafatolu
- Kemara Hauiti-Parapara
- TJ Perenara
- Ardie Savea