![\"Oli](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2a9e9c_fd8a7149a6c34d5f9cfac7b0501874c1~mv2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Oli Mathis is in the Crusaders Wider Training Group PHOTO: CRUSADERS<\/p>\n
Following the announcement of the 38-strong Super Rugby Pacific squads theWider Training Groups (WTG) have been confirmed for the 2026 season. <\/p>\n
NZ Rugby says the WTG players provide Super Rugby clubs with a group of contracted back-up players to support the core 38-man squads and serve a dual purpose of developing players for future seasons. <\/p>\n
In 2026 each franchise can contract up to 12 players as part of their WTG, with these players assembling with the core squad on a full-time basis through the DHL Super Rugby Pacific season. <\/p>\n
The players will train with their Super Rugby clubs but play for the club\u2019s development team or in local club rugby competitions. In the event of injury, they will be eligible, and match-ready, to play for their Super Rugby club. <\/p>\n
A total of 57 WTG players were selected from a pool of players who had made themselves available to be drafted to a DHL Super Rugby Pacific club in 2026. Some players have been contracted to their WTG for 2026, but also signed full contracts for 2027 and beyond. <\/p>\n
Twelve players contracted to the WTGs have represented the New Zealand Under 20 team in 2025. These players are Eli Oudenryn, Harlyn Saunoa, Dylan Eti, Logan Wallace, Will Cole, Jai Tamati, Mosese Bason, Oli Mathis, Xavier Treacy, Cooper Roberts, Tayne Harvey and Josh Tengblad. <\/p>\n
Tere’s also Eli Oudenryn who is a hooker from Canterbury and the son of former NRL Warrior Lee Oudenryn.<\/p>\n
Cooper Flanders is the younger brother of Canes loosie Devan Flanders, Lucas Casey had a standout season for Otago in the NPC while Mathis was chased by the Chiefs but won over by the Crusaders and has already played Sevens for the All Blacks. <\/p>\n
Esile Fono \u2013 Loosehead Prop (Northland) <\/p>\n
Eli Oudenryn \u2013 Hooker (Tasman) <\/p>\n
Mason Tupaea \u2013 Tighthead and Loosehead Prop (Waikato) <\/p>\n
Sam Matenga \u2013 Tighthead Prop (Tasman) <\/p>\n
Hemopo Cunningham \u2013 Lock (Taranaki) <\/p>\n
Jack Lee \u2013 Lock (North Harbour) <\/p>\n
Jed Melvin \u2013 Loose Forward (North Harbour) <\/p>\n
Torian Barnes \u2013 Loose Forward (Canterbury) <\/p>\n
Josh Renton \u2013 Halfback (Northland) <\/p>\n
Leo Gordon \u2013 Midfield (Auckland) <\/p>\n
Harlyn Saunoa \u2013 Outside Back (North Harbour) <\/p>\n
Tima Fainga\u2019anuku \u2013 Outside Back (North Harbour) <\/p>\n
Will Martin \u2013 Loosehead Prop (Waikato) <\/p>\n
JJ Pokai \u2013 Hooker (Taranaki) <\/p>\n
Keran Van Staden \u2013 Tighthead Prop (Counties Manukau) <\/p>\n
Jai Knight \u2013 Lock (Bay of Plenty) <\/p>\n
Cameron Church \u2013 Loose Forward (Counties Manukau) <\/p>\n
Dylan Eti \u2013 Loose Forward (Waikato) <\/p>\n
Michael Loft \u2013 Loose Forward (Taranaki) <\/p>\n
Cohen Brady-Lethem \u2013 Halfback (Counties Manukau) <\/p>\n
AJ Alatimu \u2013 First-five (Counties Manukau) <\/p>\n
T\u0101miro Armstrong \u2013 Midfield (Bay of Plenty) <\/p>\n
Reon Paul \u2013 Midfield (Bay of Plenty) <\/p>\n
Dan Sinkinson \u2013 Outside Back (Waikato) <\/p>\n
Tony Tafa \u2013 Loosehead Prop (North Harbour) <\/p>\n
Logan Wallace \u2013 Tighthead Prop (Manawat\u016b) <\/p>\n
Matolu Petaia \u2013 Lock (Wellington) <\/p>\n
Taine Roiri \u2013 Lock (Manawat\u016b) <\/p>\n
Cooper Flanders \u2013 Loose Forward (Hawke\u2019s Bay) <\/p>\n
Mosese Bason \u2013 Loose Forward (Manawat\u016b) <\/p>\n
Jai Tamati \u2013 Halfback (Manawat\u016b) <\/p>\n
Will Cole \u2013 First-five (Hawke\u2019s Bay) <\/p>\n
Anaru Paenga-Morgan \u2013 Midfield (Hawke\u2019s Bay) <\/p>\n
Drew Wild \u2013 Outside Back (Manawat\u016b) <\/p>\n
Jack Gray \u2013 Outside Back (Tasman) <\/p>\n
Taniela Filimone \u2013 Outside Back (Manawat\u016b) <\/p>\n
Jack Sexton \u2013 Loosehead Prop (Southland) <\/p>\n
Tomasi Maka \u2013 Hooker (Tasman) <\/p>\n
Gus Brown \u2013 Tighthead Prop (Canterbury) <\/p>\n
Xavier Treacy \u2013 Lock (Canterbury) <\/p>\n
Johnny Lee \u2013 Loose Forward (Tasman) <\/p>\n
Oli Mathis \u2013 Loose Forward (Waikato) <\/p>\n
Sam Hainsworth-Fa\u2019afo \u2013 Loose Forward (Auckland) <\/p>\n
Mitchell Drummond \u2013 Halfback (Tasman) <\/p>\n
Cooper Grant \u2013 First-five (Tasman) <\/p>\n
Cooper Roberts \u2013 Midfield (Tasman) <\/p>\n
Jae Broomfield \u2013 Outside Back (Otago) <\/p>\n
Kurtis MacDonald \u2013 Outside Back (Canterbury) <\/p>\n
Ben Lopas \u2013 Loosehead Prop (Otago) <\/p>\n
A-One Lolofie \u2013 Hooker (Otago) <\/p>\n
Rohan Wingham \u2013 Tighthead Prop (Otago) <\/p>\n
Josh Tengblad \u2013 Lock (Otago) <\/p>\n
Lucas Casey \u2013 Loose Forward (Otago) <\/p>\n
Senita Lauaki \u2013 Loose Forward (Waikato) <\/p>\n
Nic Shearer \u2013 Halfback (Southland) <\/p>\n
Meihana Grindlay \u2013 Midfield (Taranaki) <\/p>\n
Tayne Harvey \u2013 Outside Back (Southland)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Oli Mathis is in the Crusaders Wider Training Group PHOTO: CRUSADERS Following the announcement of the 38-strong Super…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":270194,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,760,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-270193","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-rugby","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=270193"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270193\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/270194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=270193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=270193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=270193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}