Amersham & Chiltern snap up Kiwi pair

Jul 28 2011 By Yann Tear

AMERSHAM and Chiltern Rugby Club are hoping an injection of New Zealand blood in the ranks will help them establish themselves in National League Three next season.

New recruits include Ben French, a stocky hooker who has played for Wellington U19s, and Jason Ah Tong, an outside centre who has been playing Rugby League for four years but wants to return to Union.

James Hogan, a flanker and another New Zealander, has transferred from Crawley, Sussex, where he was player of the year last season.

There is also much excitement about the probable signing of a Samoan scrum half from Auckland, Dwayne Polataivao, who is due to join the club in August.

He was a member of the unbeaten Auckland U20s team last season.

Finally, adding bulk to the pack and also expected to start training with the squad next month is a giant lock forward, Cameron Gentles, also from Auckland, who has been coached for the past five years by the great former All Black, Gary Whetton and comes with his full endorsement.

Level five rugby will be the highest the club has ever reached in a history dating back to 1924.

Some of the stalwarts of last season have moved on, but several of the young players who moved to other clubs in recent times to play a higher standard of rugby could be returning.

One of those is Sam Portland, who came up through the Colts and has been playing for Henley.

Promotion was won with nine former Chiltern colts in the team, including skipper Charlie Bond, and most of them will be playing for Chiltern again this season.

Ex-London Irish loose-head prop and director of rugby, Matt Allen, is coaching the forwards and Craig Burgess the backs.