From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Schwalger (born 28 September 1983 in Apia, Western Samoa) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer and plays at prop. He moved to New Zealand after being born in Apia. His representative career started with the New Zealand Secondary Schools team, before being included in New Zealand's Under 21 team in 2004. He won the Under 21 Rugby World Cup with that team in 2004, and in 2005 was a member of the Hurricanes Super 12 (now Super 14) wider training group. He debuted for Wellington in the 2005 against the touring British and Irish Lions, and played for them in that year's National Provincial Championship (NPC, since renamed the Air New Zealand Cup). He was selected for the Hurricanes squad for the 2006 Super 14 and eventually forced his way into the starting line-up. Following his Super 14 form in 2006 he was selected for the Junior All Blacks, and played for the team as they won the 2006 IRB Pacific 5 Nations. After another successful 2006 Air New Zealand Cup season — where he propped both sides of the scrum, he returned to the Hurricanes in 2007. Following the 2007 Super 14 he was selected in the All Blacks training squad, and was one of only two non-capped players in the squad. His inclusion was the biggest surprise of the squad — as he was picked ahead of capped props Clarke Dermody and John Afoa. Ultimately, he was the final cut from the 2007 Rugby World Cup squad, as the previously injured Greg Somerville was declared fit to play and took up the final place in the squad.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
Wellington
