Jordan Bunce follows in father Frank’s footsteps in All Blacks Sevens squad
Coach Gordon Tietjens rewards hard work that young players have put in to gain their first caps
More than two decades after his dad, Frank Bunce, played for New Zealand at sevens, Jordan Bunce will turn out for the All Blacks Sevens at Hong Kong Stadium next weekend. And while most things might have changed there is one constant – Gordon Tietjens was already coaching the team in 1993.
Jordan Bunce is one of two new faces picked by Tietjens for New Zealand’s title defence at the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, the other being former basketballer Lewis Ormond.
Jordan is great on attack and has worked on his defence so gets his reward
Both debutants are 20 and impressed Tietjens at the National Sevens last week and at a training camp. They will be appearing for the first time in the HSBC Sevens World Series.
Also returning to the side after missing out through injury the last two legs in Wellington and Las Vegas are veterans DJ Forbes and Tim Mikkelson.
“It’s great to have DJ and Timmy back in the mix especially for the big games,” said Tietjens.
“Jordan is great on attack and has worked on his defence so gets his reward. He’s an exciting player for someone so young and certainly has a future in the game. To grow him as a sevens player in Hong Kong is a huge opportunity.
“Lewis has only been playing three years and as an ex-basketballer he offers lots of height which is good in terms of contesting ball in the air. He’s a forward in sevens, a centre in fifteens, so brings a great set of skills to the game.” Tietjens said.
[Lewis] is a forward in sevens, a centre in fifteens, so brings a great set of skills to the game
Jordan Bunce, a Manawatu back, is set to follow in the footsteps of his famous father who played as a centre for the All Blacks, and also played at the first Rugby World Cup Sevens in 1993.
“I didn’t realise he was a sevens player, but there you go. He didn’t tell me. I knew he was in the All Blacks, but he didn’t mention the sevens,” Bunce Jnr told the New Zealand media.
“I was looking at a poster with all the names of former players and the year they played in the team, and saw his name.”
The pair will join three other Hong Kong first-timers – although they have been regulars on the series – Rieko Ioane, Beaudine Waaka and Dylan Collier. The rest of the squad comprises Scott Curry, Sam Dickson, Sherwin Stowers, Joe Webber and Ambrose Curtis.
