Wests Tigers forward Zane Musgrove has been called up to the Maori All Stars squad to take on the Indigenous All Stars team.
Having initially not been named for the clash, Musgrove has been a late inclusion to the squad by Maori Coach David Kidwell — marking the first representative fixture for the 24-year-old since playing one Test for Samoa back in 2017.
Musgrove said he felt honoured to be representing his Maori heritage, which comes from his father’s side.
“When I received the call from [Maori All Stars coach] David Kidwell, I was so excited and a bit shocked,” Musgrove said.
“Looking at the team and looking at the calibre of players makes it really exciting. I’ll be heading into camp with guys like Jesse Bromwich and all those top-quality players.
“I’m proud to be representing my Maori heritage and I can’t wait for it.
“I’ve previously represented Samoa — which is my mum’s side — but now I can represent my dad and all of his family."
The prop is eager to head into camp to learn off some of the best players in the game.
“I heard it’s a really fun camp. I was just chatting to [James] Tamou and he said it’s a great camp to be at,” he said.
“I can’t wait to be around the team and learn off some of the best players.
“I’m going to go in and see what players from other teams do and how they do their training and what they do on game day. I’m going to be taking notes and hopefully I can learn a lot to improve my game.”
The All Stars game will take place in Townsville on February 20.
