Counties Manukau (National Provincial Championship)

Last updated

Counties Manukau
Counties Manukau Steelers logo.png
CMRFU official emblem
Union Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union
Nickname(s)Steelers
Founded1955;70 years ago (1955)
Location Pukekohe, 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
2024 8th
Quarter-finalist
Kit left arm redborder.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body blackred stripes.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm redborder.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts blackbottom.png
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks hoops black red.png
Kit socks long.svg
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.

Contents

Current squad

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

Counties Manukau Steelers squad

Props

Hookers

Locks

Loose forwards

Half-backs (scrum-halves)

First five-eighths (fly-halves)

Midfielders (centres)

Outside backs

  • (c) denotes team captain.
  • Bold denotes internationally capped.
  • Injury icon 2.svg 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. 1 2 McQuiod and Polo weren't named in the original Counties Manukau squad, but were announced in the side for Round 6. [3]
  3. ↑ Furniss wasn't named in the original Counties Manukau squad, but was announced in the side for Round 1. [4]

Honours

Counties Manukau have been overall Champions on one occasion, winning the title in 1979. Their full list of honours include: [5] [6]

National Provincial Championship First Division
National Provincial Championship Second Division
ITM Cup Championship Division

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. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

PlayerTeam
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; (2 September 2025). "Team locked in to face North Harbour" . Retrieved 8 September 2025– via Instagram.
  4. ↑ @countiesrugby; (30 July 2025). "First Counties Manukau Steelers team for 2025 locked in" . Retrieved 3 August 2025– via Instagram.
  5. ↑ "National Provincial Championship winners, 1976–2014". Te Ara. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  6. ↑ "Mitre 10 Cup". Rugby Heartland. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  7. ↑ "Game Readiness and Maturity Key in 2025 Hurricanes Squad". Hurricanes (Press release). 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  8. ↑ "2025 Crusaders squad announced". crusaders.co.nz (Press release). 11 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  9. ↑ "Moana Pasifika name squad for 2025". Moana Pasifika (Press release). 11 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  10. ↑ "Gallagher Chiefs name cohesive 2025 squad" (Press release). Chiefs. 11 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  11. ↑ @moanapasifika; (20 January 2025). "Tevita Ofa secured for the remainder of '25 replacing the injured Neria Fomai" . Retrieved 20 January 2025– via Instagram.
  12. ↑ "We're ready to take the handbrake off". Blues (Press release). 11 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  13. ↑ "Fijian Drua unveil 2025 squad" (Press release). Fijian Drua. 11 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
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