Counties Manukau (National Provincial Championship)

For the Counties Manukau governing body, see Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union.

Counties Manukau
CMRFU official emblem
UnionCounties Manukau Rugby Football Union
Nickname(s)Steelers
Founded1955 (1955)
LocationPukekohe, Auckland, New Zealand
Ground(s)Navigation Homes Stadium (Capacity: 12,000)
Coach(es)Reon Graham
Captain(s)Jimmy Tupou
Most appearancesAlan Dawson (201)
Top scorerDanny Love (698)
Most triesAlan Dawson (58)
League(s)Bunnings NPC
20248th
Quarter-finalist
Team kit
Official website
www.steelers.co.nz

Counties Manukau (often known as the Counties Steelers) are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Pukekohe, New Zealand. The union was originally established in 1955, with the National Provincial Championship established in 1976. They now play in the reformed National Provincial Championship competition. They play their home games at Navigation Homes Stadium in Pukekohe in the Auckland region. The team is affiliated with the Chiefs Super Rugby franchise. Their home playing colours are black, white and red.

Current squad

The Counties Manukau Steelers squad for the 2025 Bunnings NPC is:[1]

Counties Manukau Steelers squad

Props

Hookers

Locks

  • New Zealand William Furniss REP[b]
  • New Zealand Tom Martin
  • New Zealand Leo Ngatai-Tafau
  • Tonga Sione Takai
  • New Zealand Jimmy Tupou (c)
  • Samoa Aukusitino Ulugia
  • New Zealand Reegan Wheeler DEV

Loose forwards

Half-backs (scrum-halves)

First five-eighths (fly-halves)

Midfielders (centres)

Outside backs

  • (c) denotes team captain.
  • Bold denotes internationally capped.
  • denotes a player ruled out for the season with injury.
  • DEV denotes a development squad player.
  • REP denotes a replacement squad player.
  1. ^ Fifita wasn't named in the original Counties Manukau squad, but was announced in the side for Round 2.[2]
  2. ^ Furniss wasn't named in the original Counties Manukau squad, but was announced in the side for Round 1.[3]

Honours

Counties Manukau have been overall Champions on one occasion, winning the title in 1979. Their full list of honours include:[4][5]

National Provincial Championship First Division
  • Winners: 1979
National Provincial Championship Second Division
  • Winners: 1993
ITM Cup Championship Division
  • Winners: 2012

Current Super Rugby players

Players named in the 2025 Counties Manukau Steelers squad, who also earned contracts or were named in a squad for any side participating in the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12]

Player Team
Riley Hohepa Hurricanes
Ioane Moananu Crusaders
Alamanda Motuga Moana Pasifika
Etene Nanai-Seturo Chiefs
Tevita Ofa Moana Pasifika
Dalton Papali'i Blues
Cam Roigard Hurricanes
Hoskins Sotutu Blues
Jonathan Taumateine Moana Pasifika
Zuriel Togiatama Drua
Jimmy Tupou Chiefs
Emosi Tuqiri Drua

References

  1. ^ @countiesrugby; (16 July 2025). "2025 COUNTIES MANUKAU STEELERS SQUAD". Retrieved 17 July 2025 – via Instagram.
  2. ^ @countiesrugby; (7 August 2025). "Team". Retrieved 10 August 2025 – via Instagram.
  3. ^ @countiesrugby; (30 July 2025). "First Counties Manukau Steelers team for 2025 locked in". Retrieved 3 August 2025 – via Instagram.
  4. ^ "National Provincial Championship winners, 1976–2014". Te Ara. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  5. ^ "Mitre 10 Cup". Rugby Heartland. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Game Readiness and Maturity Key in 2025 Hurricanes Squad". Hurricanes (Press release). 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  7. ^ "2025 Crusaders squad announced". crusaders.co.nz (Press release). 11 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  8. ^ "Moana Pasifika name squad for 2025". Moana Pasifika (Press release). 11 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  9. ^ "Gallagher Chiefs name cohesive 2025 squad" (Press release). Chiefs. 11 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  10. ^ @moanapasifika; (20 January 2025). "Tevita Ofa secured for the remainder of '25 replacing the injured Neria Fomai". Retrieved 20 January 2025 – via Instagram.
  11. ^ "We're ready to take the handbrake off". Blues (Press release). 11 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  12. ^ "Fijian Drua unveil 2025 squad" (Press release). Fijian Drua. 11 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.