Six new names in Canterbury Mitre 10 Cup squad

Six new players and one returning player have been named in the Canterbury squad for the 2017 season, at a national launch for the Mitre 10 Cup competition held in Auckland today.

 
Canterbury’s coaching group of Head Coach Glenn Delaney and assistants Joe Maddock and Nathan Mauger have added two new players in the forward pack and four in the backline, as the team comes together to prepare for next week’s season opener against Tasman.
 
Delaney said it was important to be able to blood some young talent in the Mitre 10 Cup, and those selected brought a fresh approach and plenty of enthusiasm to the Canterbury side: “These young players have come through the academy system and were members of the Crusaders Knights team earlier this year. As coaches, it’s exciting to see the raw talent among this new group and we’re really looking forward to seeing them develop throughout the Mitre 10 Cup campaign.
 
 
24 of the 39-man squad have Super Rugby experience, while 7 of those players will be part of the All Blacks team for the upcoming Rugby Championship.

 
The Canterbury side travel to Nelson for their first match of the 2017 season, where they will face last year’s beaten Premiership finalists, Tasman. 

 
Canterbury’s first home fixture will be the following week on Sunday 27 August, when they put the Ranfurly Shield on the line against Otago in Christchurch.
 
 
 
2017 Canterbury Mitre 10 Cup squad:

* denotes new player

Canterbury All Blacks: