PLACEMAKERS ALBANY BAYS U21

The ECB Rugby Club sees the U21 grade as a highly important grade in the club and accordingly puts a lot of resources and energy into making sure it is successful. This grade is the stepping stone from First 15 Rugby to Premier Rugby and it is therefore very important that the players’ skills are developed and grown whilst they are in this grade.

The club ensures the young men leaving school are coached and managed by the best the club has to offer to ensure ongoing growth of the rugby talent that is returning to the club. All coaches and managers are ECB Old Boys ensuring the history of the club is instilled in the young men that are the future of our Premier Grade Teams.

Furthermore, our club policy is to promote our talented U21 players to the premier team, as form allows. This has proven a successful formula in recent years with a number of U21 players now playing Premier rugby at the club or achieving higher honours in representing North Harbour Mitre 10 Cup or Sevens teams.

Former ECB U21 players in this category include:

• Leon Thambiran – North Harbour U19, ECB Premiers, North Harbour B
• Louis Noel – ECB Premiers
• Ethan Roots – ECB Premiers Captain, North Harbour, North Harbour Sevens, Crusaders, NZ Maori
• James Roots – North Harbour U19, ECB Premiers, North Harbour, Auckland Blues Development
• Tate Evans – ECB Premiers, North Harbour, North Harbour Sevens
• David Meki – North Harbour U19, ECB Premiers, North Harbour
• Jackson Searle – ECB Premiers
• Josh Murdoch – ECB Premiers
• Jack May – ECB Premiers
• Dylan Sweet – ECB Premiers
• Kingsley Henry – ECB Premiers
• Jayden Lowe – ECB Premiers
• Nick Burns – ECB Premiers
• Chris Sumpter – ECB Premiers
• Callum Blair – ECB Premiers
• Jed Melvin – North Harbour U19 Captain, ECB Premiers
• Chlayton Frans – ECB Premiers, North Harbour U19, Blues Development
• Ryan Mead – ECB Premiers, North Harbour U19
• Tamati Huggins – ECB Premiers
• Jackson Ephraims – ECB Premiers
• Damian Mapapalagi – ECB Premiers
• Jack Roberston – ECB Premiers, North Harbour U19, U19 NZ Barbarians
• Ben Taylor – ECB Premiers
• Breyton Lenee – ECB Premiers
• Boaz  Ikahihifo – ECB Premiers
• Callum Budge – ECB Premiers
• Wade Jansen – ECB Premiers

The U21 grade has driven the success of the club in recent years as the development of the U21 players has strengthened the playing depth of both the premier and premier reserve grades.

If you are serious about improving and developing as a rugby player whilst enjoying the social side of the U21 grade our club provides a proven platform to achieving this. If you are driven to become a premier player or North Harbour representative join our U21 programme on leaving school. Our results speak for themselves.

• 2016 North Harbour Finalist (Runners Up)
• 2017 Winners North Harbour U21 Grade
• 2018 Winners North Harbour U21 Grade
• 2019 Winners North Harbour U21 Grade
• 2020 Season (abandoned due to covid)
• 2021 Winners North Harbour U21 Grade

Our Under 21 team is supported with the help of the following sponsors:

Placemakers Albany, Murdoch Newell, Baycom, Altaine, Protector Insurance,  TDDA North Harbour, Auckland Scaffolding, Scott Electrical

If you have any queries or require any further information on this grade please contact John Murdoch on 021 884 227.