GPS First XV Rugby 2023: Players to Watch, season draw
Revealed: Here’s 30 GPS First XV schoolboy rugby players sure to entertain when the season starts on Saturday. SEE THE LIST OF PLAYERS TO WATCH.
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The GPS First XV rugby competition will return with a bang on Saturday when The Southport School, Churchie, Brisbane Grammar School and Terrace lay out the welcome mat.
GPS RUGBY TEAM OF THE DECADE SO FAR
ROUND 1 TEAMS, FEARLESS FORECAST FOR THE PREMIERSHIP
In a mouth-watering prospect, Terrace the Brave face an upbeat Toowoomba Grammar School who many expect to make the running this season.
BGS host another up and coming side, Brisbane Boys College, while Churchie were at home to Brisbane State High School.
And Ipswich Grammar School have an away game to TSS.
Watch for our coverage each Saturday in the late afternoon.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
ST JOSEPH’S GREGORY TERRACE
Tom Robinson
Keep an eye on the robust running, skilled, mobile lock Tom Robinson.
He is a leader on the field both by his actions and his words – and also a leader off the field – Robinson is the College Captain.
Rugby is in his blood, Tom’s dad Brett a Brumbies legend and ex-Wallaby, a Queenslander who went south to star in Super Rugby.
Noah Clifford
Clifford will be Robinson’s partner in crime, a willing second rower hardened from last year’s experience in the First XV.
No one will pull the wool over his eyes this season.
Nick Dunstan
The second year First XV player who’s uncle is former Queensland champion and Wallaby fullback Greg Martin.
Also a fullback, Dunstan is wiser and more experienced a year on, and his option taking will be just what the doctor ordered for Terrace.
IPSWICH GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Raife McKenzie
We present the Ipswich Grammar captain who will lead his side into battle. McKenzie is a physical and dynamic lock who will be match-hardened after last season.
CLUB RUGBY’S COLTS, WOMEN’S LATEST
Nathan Fraser
The red-haired Fraser is a returning First XV player who will be vice-captain of the Ipswich team.
At fly half, the Ipswich Jets Meninga Cup talent will organise the line, direct the troops and distribute the ball.
Tyson Walker
The younger brother of Roosters playmaker Sam who will play fullback in his first year of First XV.
Walker, Year 10, is the baby of the team who played for the Ipswich Jets Cyril Connell team
The exciting Walker can kick goals and ball play for his team.
THE SOUTHPORT SCHOOL
Fergus Gillan
An athletic lock with genuine physical presence and high work rate, Gillan will be a forward weapon.
Billy Wellard
Who better to lead the side than Billy Wellard?
A highly skilled flanker because he plays on the wing in rugby league, Wellard is an impressive player who will be a tremendous leader for TSS.
Spencer Alcock
Yes, he’s back.
Alock, the game-organiser and on-field decision maker who has a fierce competitive spirit.
Other names that will bob up are Mason King, halfback Tom Goldie and hooker Blaze Moana.
TOOWOOMBA GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Chace Oates
Oates is a big bodied playmaker who will threaten opposition defence with his running, passing and kicking.
It’s hard to imagine he can play better than he did last year but we expect he will.
Throw into the mix outside backs Will Holley, Richard Dean and front rower Jeremah Sialau and TGS supporters have real reason to believe.
Ewald Kruger
Kruger, the skillful tight forward with good set-piece skills.
Over the off-season, Kruger has improved enormously.
George Griffiths
The hard working, powerful tight forward who has plenty of upside. He was the leader of the pack in TGS’s revival season last year and will again be the first to creep forward in defence.
BRISBANE GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Brisbane Grammar School threesome prop Rowan Tong-Law, lock Will Pascoe and exciting winger Shannon Simpson will be back in business on Saturday as BGS look to continue its wonderful development from last season under coach Phil Mooney.
Rowan Tong-Law
Second year First XV player and 2023 Vice-captain, Tong-Law is strong as steel in the scrum and his teammates will look to him for on-field leadership.
Will Pascoe
Like Tong-Law this is Pascoe’s second year in the mix and the Queensland Reds Under 16s representative will offer strong defence and lots of carries.
Shannon Simpson
Elusive with ball in hand, Simpson will make a living evading defenders. He is a wonderful runner who will see more ball this season playing one position in.
BRISBANE STATE HIGH
Moses Manu
BSHS front rower Manu will be the bedrock of the BSHS pack. Injury carved a huge hole in his 2022 season, but he can make up for lost time next year.
He’s a strong boy who wears his heart on his sleeve.
BSHS will be looking to gain parity to unleash flyhalf Tauave Leofa, while upfront Jakeb Horne and the very reliable lock Jack Gordon, a contender for our Team of the Season last year, will feature.
Eli Langi
The Sunnybank rugby junior who has been a BJRU representative. Langi will add more force to a more than competent BSHS outfit in 2023.
NUDGEE COLLEGE
Macarius Pereira
Pereira is embarking on his third year of First XV footy so he knows what to expect and what’s needed of him. The Queensland Reds Under 18s prop will captain the side and his physicality will give Nudgee a boost at the set-piece. He is also a strong runner, giving his side momentum in the heavy combat.
Hugo Hart
The athletic back rower who challenges the stereotypical player of his position.
He is the quickest in his team over 20 metres and his breakdown physicality will be a pillar of strength for Nudgee’s forward pack.
Prestyn Laine-Sietu
This x-factor centre who just knows how to find the tryline
Signed by the Panthers, Laine-Sietu is a top three centre in Queensland Schoolboys rugby league. He does not have blinding speed, but plays a physical style in attack and defence, and also has deft touches around his strong running game.
CHURCHIE
Emil Willie-Jawai
Willie-Jawai is a bulldozing young prop who will be rampaging over defenders this year in Churchie colours. Watch out for Churchie’s front row scrummaging machines.
Frankie Goldsbrough
Where do we start? Goldsbrough is a ripping talent who will take it upon himself to deliver giant-killing blows for his Churchie team.
He will be without centre partner Dre Pakeho, but that means more ball for the destructive runner.
We know what he is capable of and we can’t wait to see what he comes up with.
Diamond Fifita
Fifita tag-teamed in the front row with Willie-Jawal in a GPS premiership winning performance outfit. He is a thumping ball running forward, sweeping in the lineout and adding expertise to the Churchie rolling maul.
BRISBANE BOYS COLLEGE
Avery Thomson
A Bond Pirates junior, the tall and athletic Thomson was an Australian Under 16 development select late last year after a great debut season of First XV.
Thomson is a hard working lock with good lineout presence and he will bolster this Brisbane Boys College outfit on the rise in season 2023.
Reds contracted post school.
Frank Howarth
The name Howarth brings a level of excitement to all GPS rugby supporters.
Three years on from superstar brother Jack, big, fast and dynamuic inside centre Frank comes into the mix- and we can’t wait to see what he’s capable off.
Watch this space.
Oscar Shaw
The captain of BBC, Shaw has a strong kicking game and a controlling style of play out of flyhalf.
Harrison Angel
An all energy lock who will be critical in the physical battles for BBC.
Like Tuqiri and Shaw, Angel played in the Queensland Under 18 Grey team who faced New South Wales earlier this month.
Samson Tuqiri
The son of the great Lote Tuqiri made our News Corp Team of the Year last season and he is going to be even better this year now his focus is on rugby union.
He’s the type of winger to chase hard, slice and dice down through traffic and make that play which can swing a game.
Knows how to find the tryline.
DRAW
Sat, 15 Jul 2023 BGS v BBC BGS
Sat, 15 Jul 2023 TSS v IGS TSS
Sat, 15 Jul 2023 ACGS v BSHS ACGS
Sat, 15 Jul 2023 GT v TGS GT
Sat, 15 Jul 2023 NC v Bye
Round 2
Sat, 22 Jul 2023 NC v IGS NC
Sat, 22 Jul 2023 BGS v ACGS BGS
Sat, 22 Jul 2023 GT v TSS GT
Sat, 22 Jul 2023 TGS v BSHS TGS
Sat, 22 Jul 2023 BBC v Bye
Round 3
Sat, 29 Jul 2023 BBC v ACGS BBC
Sat, 29 Jul 2023 NC v GT NC
Sat, 29 Jul 2023 TGS v BGS TGS
Sat, 29 Jul 2023 BSHS v TSS BSHS
Sat, 29 Jul 2023 IGS v Bye
Round 4
Sat, 5 Aug 2023 IGS v GT IGS
Sat, 5 Aug 2023 BBC v TGS BBC
Sat, 5 Aug 2023 BSHS v NC BSHS
Sat, 5 Aug 2023 TSS v BGS TSS
Sat, 5 Aug 2023 ACGS v Bye
Round 5
Sat, 12 Aug 2023 ACGS v TGS ACGS
Sat, 12 Aug 2023 IGS v BSHS IGS
Sat, 12 Aug 2023 TSS v BBC TSS
Sat, 12 Aug 2023 BGS v NC BGS
Sat, 12 Aug 2023 GT v Bye
Round 6
Sat, 19 Aug 2023 GT v BSHS GT
Sat, 19 Aug 2023 ACGS v TSS ACGS
Sat, 19 Aug 2023 BGS v IGS BGS
Sat, 19 Aug 2023 NC v BBC NC
Sat, 19 Aug 2023 TGS v Bye
Round 7
Sat, 26 Aug 2023 TGS v TSS TGS
Sat, 26 Aug 2023 GT v BGS GT
Sat, 26 Aug 2023 NC v ACGS NC
Sat, 26 Aug 2023 BBC v IGS BBC
Sat, 26 Aug 2023 BSHS v Bye
Round 8
Sat, 2 Sep 2023 BSHS v BGS BSHS
Sat, 2 Sep 2023 TGS v NC TGS
Sat, 2 Sep 2023 BBC v GT BBC
Sat, 2 Sep 2023 IGS v ACGS IGS
Sat, 2 Sep 2023 TSS v Bye
Round 9
Sat, 9 Sep 2023 TSS v NC TSS
Sat, 9 Sep 2023 BSHS v BBC BSHS
Sat, 9 Sep 2023 IGS v TGS IGS
Sat, 9 Sep 2023 ACGS v GT ACGS
Sat, 9 Sep 2023 BGS v Bye
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