As he prepares to make his coaching debut in the Sky Sport Super Rugby Aupiki on Saturday afternoon, Chiefs Manawa head coach Dwayne Sweeney has spoken about the focus of his pre-season with a new-look squad.
Sweeney has named six debutantes for the clash against Matatū at FMG Stadium Waikato, alongside an experienced core which includes Ruby Tui, Kate Henwood and Kelly Brazier.
Ahead of the season-opener the group had an opportunity to assemble for a camp in Whangamatā alongside the re-jigged coaching group of Sweeney, Adam Thompson, Sona Taumalolo and Carla Hohepa.
“A big focus for us as a team through this pre-season has been really educating our Manawa team on what it is to be part of the Chiefs Club as a whole” Sweeney said.
“We are aligning ourselves to the operations of the Club, we talk a lot about that as the Chiefs, we are one Club, that goes from upstairs to the playing field, from coaches to management and now across both teams.
“With that we will be performing our haka in the same way that the men’s team do, as a simple example.
“We will use the haka for special occasions, we will use it internally where and when appropriate, but it’s not something we will do every game week.”
Despite a 66-12 defeat to the Blues in the pre-season, Sweeney said the squad has full trust in their on-field processes and had a confident preparation.
The Chiefs Manawa open their campaign as part of an action-packed day at FMG Stadium Waikato, which includes the Rugby and Rhythms music festival taking place throughout the day.
