The New Zealand Rugby League has confirmed that the under-20s Ruben Wiki Cup competition will return in 2023, with the addition of two new teams.
Bay of Plenty and the Wellington Orcas will join the Akarana Falcons, Counties Manukau Stingrays, Waikato Mana and South Island Scorpions when the action kicks off on Friday, March 3rd.
Akarana are the current trophy holders, having defeated South Island 34–16 in last year’s Grand Final. The inaugural competition in 2021 was won by Central Districts.
Over the last two years, the competition has proven to be a strong pathway with several players receiving NRL contracts including Zyon Maiu’u, Stanley Iongi, Navajo Doyle and Ali Leiataua.
With the competition’s success, the NZRL also plans to add two to four more teams and start a women’s competition in 2024.
Like the last two seasons, the competition will be broadcast live on Sky Sport 4 in New Zealand.
Read more: https://nzrl.co.nz/national-20s-ruben-wiki-cup-returns-for-2023/
18TH MAN 