Former rugby league star Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will make his much-anticipated debut for the Blues in a team featuring eight All Blacks against the Hurricanes in Dunedin on Saturday.
The 28-year-old has been named to start at inside centre in an exciting midfield partnership with All Blacks back Rieko Ioane.
Tuivasa-Sheck has become one of the biggest names in rugby league since embarking on a professional sports career in 2012, one year after playing for the New Zealand Secondary Schools rugby team alongside current All Blacks Patrick Tuipulotu, Ardie Savea and Ngani Laumape.
He joined the New Zealand Warriors in 2016 and will play out his final season with the club in 2021. His success in rugby league has included being judged as the best player in the National Rugby League (NRL) when he was awarded the Dally-M Medal in 2018.
BLUES – 15 Zarn Sullivan, 14 Mark Telea, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Harry Plummer, 9 Finlay Christie, 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Adrian Choat, 6 Tom Robinson (c), 5 Luke Romano, 4 Josh Goodhue, 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Kurt Eklund, 1 Alex Hodgman.
Subs: 16 Ricky Riccitelli, 17 Ofa Tuungafasi, 18 Marcel Renata, 19 Sam Darry, 20 Anton Segner, 21 Sam Nock, 22 Stephen Perofeta, 23 Tanielu Tele’a.
Photo: Tony Feder/Getty Images
