Five All Blacks Sevens stars set to collide in NPC clash as circuit season builds

Five All Blacks Sevens stars will share the same pitch in Pukekohe this weekend as Counties Manukau host Southland in the Hilux National Provincial Championship, making it the most sevens-laden fixture of the New Zealand domestic calendar so far this season.

The hosts will deploy Sione Molia on the left wing from the start, with Joey Taumateine providing impact off the bench as Counties chase a second win of the season. Southland, sitting in a similarly modest position on the table, will counter with Fletcher Morgan on the left wing among their own sevens contingent.

The Counties-Southland match is the centrepiece of a broader weekend in which sevens talent is scattered across the NPC. Sam Clarke and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens continue at flyhalf and fullback respectively for Taranaki, who bounced back with a win over Canterbury last week and now face Auckland, where fellow sevens players Payton Spencer and Che Clark are named in the matchday squad. Darby Lancaster retains his starting berth for Hawke’s Bay as they host Otago in Napier, while Regan Ware starts on the right wing for Bay of Plenty against Manawatu and Kyren Taumoefolau keeps his place on the wing for Tasman against Wellington in Blenheim.

Oli Matis moves into the Waikato starting XV for their clash with Canterbury, a side that includes Olympic and Commonwealth Games medalist Andrew Knewstubb at flyhalf.

The NPC has now passed the halfway point of its regular season, with the standings still open enough to give these fixtures genuine weight for clubs chasing finals positions.

Across in Africa, Kenya’s National Sevens Circuit enters its final fortnight with the Embu 7s serving as a pivotal round in the race for the league title. Several of Kenya’s leading SVNS players have departed for Europe to compete in the Ultimate Sevens tournament, opening the door for emerging domestic talent to step up. The 2026 FISU World Championship Rugby Sevens is also taking place this weekend in Stellenbosch, South Africa, adding further context to a busy period for the global sevens community.

The flurry of provincial and circuit action comes ahead of the WXV Global Series and the Ultimate Sevens, which are set to dominate the international rugby calendar through September and October, with Super Rugby AUS and the Nations Championship also approaching on the horizon.