Around 200 students, including several in the region, attended the NSW Country Schools Rugby Union Championship held at The Armidale School, Armidale on June 11-12.
Students attended the championships in an effort to win selection in the NSWCSRU representative teams to contest the NSW Schools U16 Rugby Championships and the NSW Schools Rugby Trials to be held in Sydney over the next two weeks.
In addition, the NSWCSRU U16 and Open divisions were contested over a two-day format which saw teams vying for the Bernie McGrane Shield and the Donald Wiburd Trophy.
The Hunter team again proved strong and ran out eventual winners in the Open division, stretching their winning streak to eight years.
Results will show, however, that the other regions are slowly rising to the high standard set each year by Hunter. In the Under 16 division, Far North Coast were crowned the victors, beating the previously undefeated Mid-North Coast in the final.
The number of teams in this division provided the opportunity for a final to be played and, while they were unable to repeat their performance from the round match, Mid-North Coast have proved to be the big improvers of the carnival in 2011.
The carnival had wonderful support from the NSW Country Rugby Union Referees and Australian Rugby Union, with each providing a number of staff to assist the carnival over the weekend.
At the end of the two days, NSWCSRU selected two strong teams to attend the NSW All Schools representative trials and a Development Squad to tour South Africa in April 2012.
The NSWCSRU U16s and 1st XV under the expert guidance of their management teams, look certain to provide stiff opposition for the opponents again in 2011 while the development squad will certainly enjoy their tour next year with a game in Mauritius looking likely on the way to South Africa.
