We are excited to announce the South Island 15s management team for our upcoming fixture against the Brisbane Broncos 15s in late September.

We welcome back experienced and national title-winning Head Coach, Manu Clarkson (Canterbury) to lead the team. Manu was at the helm of the Scorpions 16s when we claimed our maiden national title in 2023, and we’re thrilled to have him back involved.

Supporting Manu in his assistant coaching roles are Nathan Robinson (Aoraki), who is doing a great job as our current Scorpions 16s Head Coach, and Jarrod Race (Canterbury), who coaches both senior and youth teams at the Eastern Eagles and Hornby Panthers. Jarrod will also serve as the Canterbury 15s Assistant Coach at the upcoming South Island tournament.

Our Head Trainer will be the experienced, Jason Clarke (Otago), who is currently the Scorpions 16s Head Trainer, and also served as Head Trainer for our Scorpions Women's team in 2024.

We’re also pleased to welcome back Mel Tukapua (Canterbury) as Team Manager. Mel brings a wealth of experience, having managed multiple New Zealand and South Island representative teams. Supporting Mel is Assistant Manager, Paul Esplin (Southland), who has done an exceptional job managing Southland's 14s and 16s boys teams over the past year.

In addition, we’re excited to appoint Deane Coghlan (West Coast) and Jayleel Faamoe Ioane (Southland) as Resource Coaches. Both are aspiring and talented coaches, and we’re thrilled to have them as part of the team.

This is a tremendous opportunity for the South Island, and we couldn't be more confident in the management group we've assembled to lead our 15s against the Brisbane Broncos.

Article added: Thursday 29 May 2025