New Zealand's squads for the 2009 Rebel Sport Super 14 have been announced.

The announcement of the 28-strong squads follows a selection meeting attended by the coaching staff of the five New Zealand Franchises at the New Zealand Rugby Union offices in Wellington yesterday.

The key points from the squad announcements are:

·      30 players have been selected in a Rebel Sport Super 14 squad for the first time.

·      13 players have been drafted to other Franchises.

·      Nine players return to the 2009 Rebel Sport Super 14 after not being selected for the 2008 competition due to availability, injury or form.

·      Five sets of brothers will play in Rebel Sport Super 14 New Zealand teams:

Jacob and Tamati Ellison, Ben and Owen Franks, Scott and Thomas Waldrom, Adam and George Whitelock, Ali and Jay Williams.

NZRU General Manager Professional Rugby Neil Sorensen congratulated all the players selected and said he was delighted with the cooperation shown by all the franchises.

“It’s a tough process but also one of the most exciting days of the rugby year. This year there was a real freshness to it all thanks to the new guys on some of the coaching staffs.

“I’m very confident the best 140 players have been chosen. The Air New Zealand Cup has discovered a whole bunch of new talent who now have a chance to prove themselves in one of the toughest rugby competitions in the world.”

Chiefs: 
Arizona Taumalolo (Waikato)*, Ben May (Waikato), James McGougan (Bay of Plenty)*, Joe Savage (Bay of Plenty)*,Hika Elliot (Hawke’s Bay) (D), Aled de Malmanche (Waikato), Kevin O’Neill (Waikato),Toby Lynn (Waikato), Craig Clarke (Taranaki) (D), Mark Burman (Waikato)*, Liam Messam (Waikato), Tanerau Latimer (Bay of Plenty),  Serge Lilo (Wellington) (D)*, Sione Lauaki (Waikato), Colin Bourke (Bay of Plenty), Brendon Leonard (Waikato), Toby Morland (D) (Otago), Stephen Donald (Waikato), Michael Delany (Bay of Plenty), Callum Bruce (Waikato), Jackson Willison (Waikato)*, Richard Kahui (Waikato), Sitiveni Sivivatu (Waikato), Lelia Masaga (Counties Manukau), Sosene Anesi (Waikato), James Wilson (Southland) (D), Malili Muliaina (Waikato), Dwayne Sweeney (Waikato).