World Footy News

Hawthorn Football Club today officially announced they have signed two of New Zealand's most promising young footballers to AFL international scholarship agreements. Rhys Panui-Leth and Shem Tatupu are both from the Auckland region and have represented AFLNZ at junior international level.

These signings are a further development of the Club's HANZ-Up! AFL Program in New Zealand which encompasses both a community participation program through KiwiKick and various school competitions, while also providing a tangible pathway for talented young sportsmen to progress to AFL in Australia.

Panui-Leth and Tatupu were both identified at Hawthorn Football Club's player testing days conducted in Auckland late last year. As part of their football scholarships, both boys will have the opportunity to travel to Melbourne to train with the Hawks throughout 2011 while also receiving specialist coaching in New Zealand.
Hawthorn's General Manager Player Personnel and Strategy, Chris Pelchen, was delighted to confirm the signings which come on the back of Kurt Heatherley's (Tauranga, NZ) recent relocation to Melbourne to attend school as part of his AFL international player scholarship.

"Rhys and Shem show considerable athletic talent and the capacity to develop the necessary football skills to play AFL at the highest level.

"Rhys is a versatile young player who possesses the ability to play as a tall utility whether that be as a half-back or half-forward.

"He showed significant improvement at the recent AFL Oceania Under 16 Championships in Tonga and displays a genuine commitment to his training."

The signing of Shem Tatupu will be of particular interest to New Zealand sports fans as he is the son of former Kiwi International Rugby League player Tony Tatupu.

Tatupu senior played 67 games with the Auckland Warriors in their inaugural years (1995-1999) and represented both New Zealand and Western Somoa at two World Cups and two Pacific Cups (10 international cups).

"Shem is an outstanding talent who, while still learning the game, possesses all the necessary attributes to develop into an exciting player of the future.

"Shem's size and athleticism are indicative of his footballing heritage and through ongoing specialist coaching he should become a player capable of holding down a key position in time."

Player: Rhys Panui-Leth
Age: 16
Height: 190cm
Weight: 80kg
Lives: Kakanui, Warkwoth NZ
Represented AFLNZ in U16s (Fiji 2009 and Tonga 2010)

Player: Shem Tatupu
Age: 15
Height: 193cm
Weight: 88kg
Lives: Arch Hill, Auckland NZ
Represented AFLNZ in U16s (Fiji 2009 and Tonga 2010)