Noosa, Maroochydore and Caloundra coaches name standout junior rugby union players
Coaches from all four Sunshine Coast junior rugby union teams have named their top players from the King of the Country Tournament. Watch who made the cut:
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The dust has settled from the 2022 King of the Country junior rugby union championships with plenty of standout players emerging from the four Sunshine Coast teams.
Junior sides from the Noosa Dolphins (u13s), Maroochydore Swans (u14s and u15s) and the Caloundra Lighthouses (u16s) competed on the Gold Coast from April 9-12.
With all matches live streamed through News Corp, the Sunshine Coast Daily has uncovered the region’s standout players and top moments across the four days in a complete highlights package.
Noosa Dolphins Under 13s
Noosa head coach Roger Lee said the team went into the weekend quietly confident.
“We were unbeaten in the under 12s Sunshine Coast competition last year so we knew we had a good side and thought we would have a shot but it’s always very competitive at these types of tournaments,” he said.
After progressing all the way to the grand final, Noosa’s run ended with a loss to the Surfers Paradise Dolphins 17 to 14.
Lee said he was proud of his teams performances.
“I’m absolutely delighted of the boys efforts because we played some good rugby despite being the smallest team on the field by miles,” he said.
“Our skill level really showed against those bigger sides so our expansive style of play gave us a fighting chance in every match which is all you can ask for.”
Rory Ramsden
“Rory is our captain and plays fly half for us so he showed his leadership skills all tournament,” he said.
“He was great at distributing the ball and his decision making skills proved vital for us at different stages of the matches.”
Jett Herbert
“Jett played on the wing for us and showed his strength and pace a number of times,” he said.
“He was definitely one of the leading try scorers of the competition so hopefully he stays in good form this season.”
Devereux Keil
“Devereux played inside centre for us and was really strong on both sides of the ball against some of the bigger opposition players,” he said.
“He was good in attack and offered plenty to the players around him.”
Maroochydore Swans Under 14s
Maroochydore’s U14 team won one game and lost two with head coach Billy Gibson saying the club expected “tough opposition” from the winners from the other regions.
But he said he was still proud of the team.
“Myself and the other coaching staff were just really pleased to see the boys front up and compete as we were in the battle every single game,” he said.
He said he the competition was a great stepping stone for the 2022 season.
“We used it as a platform to build towards a strong showing in the local competition as we are a bit of a new look team from last year,” he said.
“We were a bit of a depleted side over the weekend but we had players step up to the challenge and perform well in positions they weren't comfortable or familiar with.
“It was good to see the boys work together and seeing some of the combinations come take shape for the season ahead.”
Luke Sparke
“Luke ran the show for our backline at fly half and ran some beautiful lines to put his outside backs in the right positions,” he said.
“He really stepped up to the challenge and was able to score and set up tries at key moments.”
Charlee O’Donnell
“Charlie was our prop and was a player that led from the front all weekend,” he said.
“He wasn’t afraid to take on the contact and put on some big hits against the opposition.”
Daniel Fraser
“Daniel played in our centres combination with Gus which worked really well together all weekend,” he said.
“Daniel ran hard and was able to find plenty of open space against any opposition backline.”
Maroochydore Swans Under 15s
Maroochydore’s U15 team won the competition undefeated.
It was a great result for team manager Troy Derwin said and his coaching staff, Nelson Robinson and Rob Graham, who went into the tournament hoping to improve on their 2021 performance.
“We went last year but had a lot more limited success as we only won one game from three so we were hopeful at going well this time round as we felt we were a stronger team,” he said.
The Swans finished the tournament with a 12-0 win over Far North Coast.
Derwin said it was a good experience for his team.
“The boys played really well and they behaved like gentleman on and off the field which was just as important to us,” he said.
“It was a fantastic weekend for our boys to participate in and it was good to go away and play some high level rugby against some new opposition.”
Will Graham
“Will is our scrumhalf and our captain and he led the boys by example throughout the tournament,” he said.
“His work on and off the ball was great for us in both attack and defence.”
Zane Glanville
“Zane was our fullback and he was just outstanding in general play,” he said.
“He was great with the boot in open play but also in front of the goal so he was definitely a standout for us.”
Patrick Edwards
“Patrick is in the forwards and plays as blindside flanker,” he said.
“He was really good for us just through his skill at the breakdown and his dominance at the lineouts.”
Caloundra Lighthouse Under 16s
Head coach Ben Tucker said the competition was an enjoyable experience following a disrupted start to the season.
“Obviously we haven’t had the chance to play too many trial games or anything like that due to the weather that so we weren't expecting too much to be honest,” he said.
“I did think it was a great experience for the boys to have the opportunity to play against some good clubs and have some solid hit-outs before our season starts.”
“The boys loved it and really represented the club well through their professionalism and their efforts on the field.”
Tucker said he was impressed with the entire team’s efforts but noted the following players as the standout performers.
Harry Mills
“Harry is our captain and played as our scrumhalf and fly half,” he said.
“He led the side really well and played some exciting footy so looking forward to seeing what he brings this season.”
Teina Moate
“Teina played really well and had some strong runs throughout the competition,” he said.
“He also showed his skill with the ball as well which was good.”
Jordan Tucker
“Jordan played well defensively and put some big hits on,” he said.
“He scored a nice try and his conversion kicking was solid too.”
Sam Mills
“Sam is Harry’s younger brother who plays in the under 15s for Caloundra but he really stepped up for us,” he said.
“For one of the younger guys he had a really strong overall tournament.”
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