Hurricanes 2018 Super Rugby squad

Eleven new faces including three Super Rugby rookies and a Wallaby test prop are the feature of the 2018 Hurricanes squad named today.

New All Blacks hooker Asafo Aumua and his Wellington teammates, prop Alex Fidow and lock Isaia Walker-Leawere make up a freshman class small in numbers, but big in size.

Walker-Leawere, a 1.97m, 122kg product of Gisborne Boys High School, was stamping a similar mark before cutting his provincial season short to have shoulder surgery.

Aumua, Fidow and Walker-Leawere were all members of the New Zealand Under 20s side in 2017 and represent a core of young players who have come through from within the Hurricanes region.

The senior players include six-cap Wallaby prop Toby Smith, a two-time Super Rugby champion with the Chiefs before heading across the Tasman to join the Melbourne Rebels.

There are also eleven 2017 All Blacks in the squad including the halves pairing of TJ Perenara and Beauden Barrett.

In addition to the established stars and Super Rugby rookies there is a cast of players coming into the Hurricanes squad for the first time.

That group include the previously unannounced, but experienced, trio of Scottish-born Melbourne Rebels lock Murray Douglas and Counties-Manukau openside Sam Henwood, and Manawatu halfback Jamie Booth.

Booth, a member of the Hurricanes wider training squad in 2015, becomes the third halfback contracted after Tasman halfback Finlay Christie and Perenara, who recently inked a new four-year deal.

They join the previously announced signings of Wellington first five Jackson Garden-Bachop, Hawke’s Bay pivot Ihaia West, and former Highlanders loose forward Evans.

There are three other uncapped Super Rugby players in the 38-man squad although the Wellington duo of midfielder Peter Umaga-Jensen and first five TJ Va’a, and Hawke’s Bay outside back Jonah Lowe, were all members of the 2017 Hurricanes squad.

The Hurricanes 2018 Super Rugby squad 

*New Signing