MORE than 40 young rugby players from across the region have been selected for a new national junior rugby development program and competition, following trials at The Armidale School.
The under-15 and under-17 squads were announced on Friday for the Australian Rugby Union’s Junior Gold Cup program, which allows players to compete in a new national competition involving 24 teams in each age group, while at the same time being able to participate in their local club and school competitions.
An equal number of boys trialled for the under-15 and under-17 Northern Inland squads, coming from Deepwater in the north to Scone in the south, and Moree, Narrabri, Gunnedah and Tamworth, as well as across the New England.
JGC Northern Inland Centre coordinator Jamie Moore said the squads represented a good spread of boys from across the north-west region.
“The coaches have decided to select only 23 per squad, so those boys that trialled are all invited to attend the satellite training sessions to fill the remaining seven positions,” he said.
“The coaches were impressed with the willingness of the boys to show their talents, both as individuals and as part of groups.”
Players will be inducted into the squads at a ceremony on 10 November at TAS, which is the ARU’s partner in delivering the program.
They will then have weekly satellite sessions before meeting up together on 1 December to train together.
THE SQUADS:
UNDER-15: Bowen Abra (Farrer), Tom Baker (farrer), Sebastian Carrall (Scone Grammar), Wally Davidson (TAS), Tom Doran (TAS), Joshua Dowse (St Marys Gunnedah), Rohan Edwards (Scone Grammar), Fraser Evans (Farrer), Harry Gall (TAS), Damon Garrett-Steel (Narrabri HS), Harrison Jackson (TAS), Brady Keys (Gunnedah HS), Sam Laurie (Quirindi HS), Dan Lethbridge (TAS), Trent Lumby (Gunnedah HS), Brody Mather (Holy Trinity Inverell), William Morley (Narrabri HS), Edward Pitt (TAS), Jack Redfern (Calrossy), Lachlan Shortis (St Marys Gunnedah), Jackson Walters-Seivers (Mudgee HS), Cameron Witherdin (McCarthy CC), Percy Duncan (TAS).
Under-17: Hugh Arthur (TAS), Ben Caskey (Holy Trinity), Dylan Chown (Farrer), William Claridge (TAS), Edward Clements (Oxley), Henry Coldham (TAS), Josh Devine (Farrer), Nicholars Finney (TAS), Thomas Gall (TAS), Hayden Griffiths (Farrer), Tom Hawthorne (O’Connor CC), Naden Kennedy-Mawell (Oxley HS), Joseph Kingham (TAS), Nick McCrohon (Farrer), Casey McGregor (Oxley), Micah Scarf (Oxley HS), Hayden Shepherd (St Catherine’s Singleton), Nick Sorensen (Farrer), Roland Stinson (Farrer), Joshua Strange (McCarthy CC), Harrison Tibbles (McCarthy CC), Lachlan Cruickshank (TAS), Jayden Harradine (TAS).
