Rugby
Young Rieko Ioane makes veteran impact
If you’ve been tracking New Zealand’s Rieko Ioane, then you’ve likely seen one of Rugby’s up-and-coming greats in the making. At just 18-years-old, the tall center from Auckland has already delivered some impressive performances as an All Black. And he keeps going from good to great on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
Selected for the first time for the 2015 Wellington Sevens, Rieko faced up to the challenge, playing a key role in his team’s final win over England. Now, almost precisely a year to the day later, he has been named the DHL Impact Player of the HSBC Sydney Sevens.
I really think my tackling and my defense stepped up.
Rieko Ioane
“It feels great to win the DHL Impact Player award,” said Rieko after the Sydney final. “I’m glad someone is keeping track of the stats apart from my dad! I really think my tackling and my defense stepped up. I was happy with my tackling one on one and my jackling and I hope it improves as the tournaments go on. I fit into the team just by doing my bit and am happy to celebrate with the boys after Sydney.”
Rieko made 21 tackles, 9 breaks, 20 carries and 4 offloads for 54 total points and the Impact Player honors. The icing on his performance cake was seven tries throughout the Tournament, including the winning score against Australia in the final.
I’m glad someone is keeping track of the stats apart from my dad!
Rieko Ioane
While Rieko has shown his ability to move the ball forward, in Sydney it was his defensive prowess that shined. His titanic tackle total was second only to South Africa's Seabelo Senatla.
DHL Performance Tracker
Elsewhere on the DHL Performance Tracker, Australia's Lewis Holland proved why newcomer Quade Cooper won't be able to wrestle the number four shirt of him any time soon, as he made a colossal 28 carries over the two days.
Check out the Series leaderboard here to see who’s chasing these two men for the inaugural DHL Impact Player of the Series honors.
HSBC USA Sevens
After the short hop between Wellington and Sydney, the series takes a giant leap across the globe to USA’s sin city for Round 5 of the HSBC Sevens World Series, which kicks off in Las Vegas on March 4. The pools have been drawn and there are some exciting matchups so don’t miss it! And be sure to follow the conversation on the Twittersphere with the hashtag #DHLImpactPlayer.
For more, head over to World Rugby’s DHL Impact Player page or check out the Rugby stream right here on DHL InMotion. And follow us throughout the Series @DHLRugby and on Facebook.
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