Next-gen footy players overcome season of setbacks

Warwick clubs’ battle to get 2020 season going has paid dividends for its budding athletes.

ON-FIELD: Collegians U14s and U16s are competing in the 2020 Toowoomba Junior Rugby League. Picture: contributed

FOOTBALL: Warwick’s footy clubs have battled through the setbacks of the 2020 season to give their next generation of players a fighting chance on the field.

When their Warwick competition was canned earlier this year, Collegians jumped at the chance to enter U14s and U16s boys’ teams in the Toowoomba Junior Rugby League.

Club president David O’Leary said the teams had taken a few weeks to find their footing in the bigger competition, but it was paying dividends in every player’s future in footy.

“We’ve got a lot of younger kids playing up in the older age groups, but it’ll set them up and bring out the best in them going forward by getting that extra play,” O’Leary said.

“Our 16-year-olds will get a good insight into what to expect in the (senior Toowoomba Rugby League) if they choose to go there, and the 13-year-olds playing up will get good experience as well.

“One of the main focuses with joining this competition was giving the 16-year-olds their last run on the paddock with our club, so it’s all just stepping stones to getting them back underway.”

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The cancellation of other junior sports has given the Warwick Water Rats a huge boost, with more than 100 budding athletes competing in Darling Downs and Super Schools Cup competitions.

Club secretary Tess Enchelmaier said several of the boys’ and girls’ teams had nearly doubled in size, and their stellar seasons put the Water Rats in good stead heading into their official season at the end of the year.

“Bringing Water Rats players from other schools into the Scots-based team has been a really fantastic uniting umbrella, because it’s really brought the community together,” Enchelmaier said.

“When you go down to training every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, you just see these kids everywhere – it’s so awesome, and it makes me really happy every time I see it.

“That’s the whole point of juniors as well – we’ll create this teenage program that will be consistent, and they’ll eventually grow up and feed into the senior men’s and women’s’ teams.”

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