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| Full name | Joshua Renton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 25 May 1994 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Dunedin, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 80 kg (12 st 8 lb; 176 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Otago Boys' High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Josh Renton (born 25 May 1994) is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a halfback for Valorugby Emilia in Italian Top10. [1]
Born and raised in the southern New Zealand town of Dunedin, Renton attended the prestigious Otago Boys' High School in his hometown where he played first XV rugby, captaining the side in his senior year. [2] [3] [4]
Renton started out his senior career with his local ITM Cup side Otago, debuting during the 2013 season against local rivals Southland while largely serving as back up to experienced Japanese halfback Fumiaki Tanaka throughout his first year of provincial rugby. Tanaka's return to Japan to play Top League rugby with the Panasonic Wild Knights in 2014 saw Renton become first choice number 9 for the Razorbacks. He played all 10 games during a disappointing campaign for the men from Dunedin which ended with them in 6th place on the championship log. 2015 was a much better year for Otago who finished up in 3rd place in the championship before going down comprehensively to Wellington in the semi-finals with Renton once more being the province's first choice halfback, playing 9 out of 11 matches. 2016 saw the Razorbacks top the Championship log only for them to lose to North Harbour in the tournament final which consigned them to another season of championship rugby in 2017. Renton missed the entire campaign as a result of a knee injury picked up playing club rugby earlier in the year. [5] [6] He played for Otago in New Zealand's domestic Mitre 10 Cup and the Highlanders in the international Super Rugby competition from until 2018. [2] [5] [7] [8] [9]
In 2021 he come back in New Zealand to play for Southland Stags in New Zealand NPC. [10] [11]
Strong showings for Otago in domestic rugby through 2013 and 2014 were rewarded when Dunedin-based Super Rugby franchise, the Highlanders named him in their wider training group for the 2015 Super Rugby season. [12] Serving as back up to All Black Aaron Smith and Japanese international Fumiaki Tanaka, Renton was limited to just a solitary substitute appearance in his first season with the Highlanders. He was however promoted to the franchise's senior squad for 2016 at the expense of Tanaka, but, injury ended his campaign early after just 3 appearances from the replacements bench. [5] [6] Despite his injury problems, new Highlanders head coach, Tony Brown retained him in the squad for 2017. [9]
Renton played for Italian Pro14 team Zebre from 2018 to 2021. [13] [14]
Renton represented New Zealand Schools in 2012 and was a member of the New Zealand Under-20 side which finished 3rd in the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship in his home country, scoring 2 tries in 5 matches. [15] [16] [17]
Highlanders
| Season | Team | Games | Starts | Sub | Mins | Tries | Cons | Pens | Drops | Points | Yel | Red |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Highlanders | 1 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | Highlanders | 3 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 4 | 0 | 4 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
The Highlanders is a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Dunedin that compete in Super Rugby. The team was formed in 1996 to represent the lower South Island in the newly formed Super 12 competition, and includes the Otago, North Otago and Southland unions. The Highlanders take their name from the Scottish immigrants that founded the Otago, North Otago, and Southland regions in the 1840s and 1850s.
Rugby Southland is the provincial rugby union who govern the Southland region of New Zealand. Their headquarters are at Rugby Park Stadium in Invercargill, which is also the home ground of the union's professional team, the Southland Stags who compete in the Mitre 10 Cup Championship Division and challenge for the Ranfurly Shield.
Quinton James Cowan is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He first played for the All Blacks – New Zealand's national team – during the 2004 tour to the United Kingdom and France, and played his last Test match for the side during the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Cowan was born in Gore and attended Gore High School. After he left school a strong season for the Mataura Rugby Club saw him selected to play provincially for the Southland Stags in 2000. He was selected for the Highlanders in the 2003 Super 12 season, and continued to play for both the Highlanders and Southland until signing for Gloucester in 2012.
Alando Soakai is a former professional rugby union player from New Zealand. He is currently the head coach of the Wellington Lions in the National Provincial Championship. He is best known for his time with the Highlanders in Super Rugby and Otago in the ITM Cup, and as captain of Otago in their 2009 and 2010 campaigns. He currently serves on the coaching staff of the Kubota Spears in the Japan Rugby League One, the club where he finished his playing career.
Kurt Baker is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a fullback or wing for Old Glory DC in Major League Rugby (MLR).
Scott Cowan is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a halfback for the Southland Stags. He is the younger brother of All Blacks halfback, Jimmy Cowan.
Fumiaki Tanaka is a Japanese rugby union player. He plays as a scrum-half for Japan on international level and for the NEC Green Rockets and the Sunwolves at domestic level.
Hayden John Parker is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a first five-eighth for the Japanese based HITO-Communications Sunwolves in Super Rugby and Otago in New Zealand's domestic Mitre 10 Cup.
Tom Franklin is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a lock for Taranaki in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and the Western Force in Super Rugby.
Cardiff Vaega is a New Zealand rugby union player. He plays in the centre position for the Romanian based SuperLiga team Tomitanii Constanța.
Gareth Evans is a retired New Zealand rugby union player. He played as a loose forward for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition, and the Highlanders in Super Rugby.
Brad McCormick Weber is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a halfback for Stade Français in the French Top 14. He previously played for Hawke's Bay in the National Provincial Championship and the Chiefs in Super Rugby. He has represented New Zealand internationally.
Aki Seiuli is a New Zealand born rugby union player of Samoan heritage who currently plays as a prop for Dragons and the Samoan national side. He previously played for Glasgow Warriors; and the New Zealand sides Otago - in domestic Mitre 10 Cup - and the Highlanders - in the international Super Rugby competition.
Kayne Hammington is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a halfback for Otago in New Zealand's domestic Mitre 10 Cup and the Highlanders in the international Super Rugby competition.
Sio Tomkinson is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a centre for the Western Force in the Super Rugby Pacific competition. He has previously played for the Dragons RFC in the United Rugby Championship and for the Highlanders.
Te Aihe Toma is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who currently plays as a Halfback for the Bay of Plenty Steamers in the Mitre 10 Cup. He also featured for Dunedin-based Super Rugby franchise, the Highlanders, during the 2016 season.
Timothy Paul O'Malley is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays for Tasman in the Bunnings NPC. His position is first five-eighth.
Otago are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Dunedin, New Zealand. The union was originally established in 1881, with the National Provincial Championship established in 1976. They now play in the reformed National Provincial Championship competition. They play their home games at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin in the Otago region. The team is affiliated with the Highlanders Super Rugby franchise. Their home playing colours are navy blue and gold.
Charles Alaimalo is a New Zealand rugby union player. His usual position is as a Flanker and he currently plays for Southland in the NPC.
Joshua M. Moorby is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays on the wing or fullback. He was announced in the Highlanders squad as an injury replacement in April 2021 for the 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa season. He also represented Southland.