Australian schools rugby titles 2023: top tips, favourites, schedule, team lists

Last year there were upsets galore and one coach believes that will be the norm again at the 2023 Australian schools rugby championships. So who are the favourites? Team lists, preview

Amanda Lulham

@amandalulham

7 min read

July 3, 2023 - 5:41PM

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

Queensland's Barney Radel with the ball in the match against NSW 1 last year. Picture: John Appleyard

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There are some standouts but one coach heading to the Australian schoolboy rugby championships from July 3 says it won’t be “one way traffic’’, with any of the eight teams playing capable of causing an upset.

NSW Juniors coach Andrew Fraser also believes there will be some unexpected stars emerging at the annual event being played from Monday to Thursday at Eric Tweedale stadium at Merrylands.

A girls under 16s and under 18s sevens tournament is being run alongside the schoolboys 15-a-side event.

At the 2022 scholboys tournament the NSW Barbarians surprised many by booking a spot in the finale of the event played at Knox College.

But it was the NSW Schoolboys who prevailed, winning the final 24-14.

DAY 1 USPETS, STARS, WRAP

NSW's Keenan Ewings packs down against Queensland last year. Picture: John Appleyard

LEAGUE GUN TO WATCH

STARS OF TAHS V REDS U18S

The third and fourth playoff match was between NSW Schools II and the ACT with the local team taking a 29-18 victory.

NSW were rewarded for their top form across various teams with the lions share of selections - 19 of the 27 - in the Australian schoolboys outfit named at the conclusion of the event.

NSW's Joe Hutton gets the ball away in the match against ACT in 2022.

Fraser believes NSW Schools should be at the top of the favourites list ahead of the championships where his team, comprising both country and city players, will meet them in their opening encounter on Monday afternoon.

“The Schools team is always good but this is a nice opportunity for the players from club land to see how they fare against schools players and they always want to do well,’’ Fraser said.

“We will play an exciting brand of footy to give our players the opportunity to impress in front of selectors.

“Some of our kids are at schools so can be considered for the Australian schools team and the focus for us as coaches is to get them to show their super powers.

Australian Schools Rugby Championships action in 2022.

“I’d like to think there’s a few teams that could win this, that everyone has an opportunity here.’’

Queensland will be smarting from missing a medal a year ago and will field two sides this year - both expected to be more than capable of taking on all contenders.

The ACT are also back along with a Victorian side their coach says will not be “easy beats’’.

Country's Callum McMenemy offloads the ball. Players at the event come form across Australia and regional and country areas.

At the conclusion of the event three Australian Schools teams will be announced in the inaugural ASRU Australian Schoolgirls Sevens team (U18) to play at the Global Youth Sevens tournament, the Australian Schoolboys team and an Australian Schoolboys Barbarians team.

The Australian Schoolboys and Australian Schoolboys Barbarians will play in a three-way competition with Tongan Schoolboys late this year

AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS RUGBY 2023: TEAMS, BOYS XVS

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

NSW Schools I (NSW 1)

NSW Schools II (NSW 2)

NSW Junior Rugby Union (NSWJRU)

NSW Junior Rugby Union Barbarians (NSWJRU BB)

Queensland 1 (QLD 1)

Queensland 2 (QLD 2)

Victoria (VIC)

CHS1's John Jacob at recent schoolboy trials.

AUSTRALIAN SCHOOL RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM LISTS

NSW JUNIORS XV

1 Daniel Christodoulou West Harbour, 2 Ponipate Ravubale Two Blues, 3 Jonathan Wehbe Eastwood, 4 Felix Harvison Forest/Manly Savers, 5 Benjamin Finegan Randwick, 6 Milos Safranek Lennox Head, 7 Ryan Scott Eastwood, 8 John Jacob Eastwood, 9 Darcy Standfield Randwick, 10 Felix Turinui Randwick, 11 Ratu Kamisese Tuqalo Sydney Uni, 12 Callum McMenemy Illawarra, 13 Sosaia Kaufisi Two Blues, 14 Archie McGurk Gordon, 15 Dane Mitchell West Harbour, 16 Sam Bourgeois Gordon, 17 Quade Leo Western Raptors, 18 Paul Vaokakala Manly Marlins, 19 Jayden Miller Two Blues, 20 Alisi Leao West Harbour, 21 Nick Lamming Gordon, 22 Kian Edmed Randwick, 23 Samu Tuisau West Harbour.

Last year’s event was wet and muddy.

Sydney Junior's Quade Leo with the ball. CCC (two tone blue) v Sydney Juniors (blue and gold) U18 NSW Boys Rugby Schools Selection trials. Picture: John Appleyard

BARBARIANS

1 Tunui Jorgensen Gordon 2 Finn Graham Gordon 3 Cody Grant Warringah 4 Angus Ditchfield New England 5 Cooper Hall Central North 6 Matthew Jarman Warringah 7 Fergus Tayler Hunter 8 Noah Tofaeono Randwick 9 Liam Walsh Sydney Uni 10 Max Marsters Manly 11 Sevanaia Tikoduadua Eastwood 12 Iveni Nasio West Harbour 13 Riley Evans Randwick 14 Milad El Azar Southern Districts 15 Zachary Flynn Manly 16 Angus Liddle Sydney Uni 17 Tomas Rokosuka Illawarra 18 Justin Amituanai Sydney Uni 19 Hunter Cross Devonport (TAS) 20 Gus Paterson Gordon 21 Nathan Vaughan Hunter 22 Joseph Harvey Eastwood 23 Hunter Cooper Burnie (TAS).

ACT's Tom Hayes gets the ball away in a match against NSW Juniors last year.

NSW SCHOOLS IST XV

1 Hamish Grover St Ignatius College, 2 Luke Muriti Oakhill College, 3 Isaiah Kolopeaua Ashfield Boys High School, 4 Ryan Jacobs Oakhill College, 5 Thomas Alloggia Oakhill College, 6 Heath Turner Knox Grammar School, 7 Benji Noble St Ignatius College, 8 Joshua Va’alotu Newington College, 9 Taite Howells Oakhill College, 10 Henry James The Scots College, 11 Aidan Gow The Scots College, 12 Matteo Cleverley Newington College, 13 Patrick Broe St Josephs College, 14 Tom Farr-Jones Newington College, 15 Tallis McEwen Newington College, 16 Jonas Dowling Waverley College, 17 Ky Pule Waverley College, 18 William Barker Trinity Catholic College Goulburn, 19 Aron Brennan St Augustines College, 20 Nathaniel Thomas Barker College, 21 Lachlan Smith The Kings School, 22 Tye Jecks Knox Grammar School, 23 Richard Whalebone Randwick Boys High School. Coach Mark O’Brien Muswellbrook High School. Assistant Coach Craig Roberts Barker College, Manager Chris Meizer Lake Illawarra High School.

Queensland playing Victoria last year. Picture: Jeremy Piper

NSW SCHOOL 2ND XV

1 Kieran Holland CHS 1 NBSC Freshwater Senior Campus 2 Terence Fusi CHS 2 Homebush, 3 Billy Mougios GPS Blue Newington College, 4 James McCreery GPS I The Shore School, 5 Will Potent CAS II Barker College, 6 Johannes Logan GPS II St Josephs College, 7 Connor Wilkin ISA 1 St Stanislaus College, 8 Noah Jackson CAS II Cranbrook School, 9 Hugo Orpin GPS II The Shore School, 10 Sam McLachlan GPS Blue The Kings School, 11 John Cameron-Murphy ISA 1 St Andrews’s Cathedral School, 12 Caleb Sinclair Harris CAS II Waverley College, 13 Mitchell Holmes ISA 1 Oakhill College, 14 Max Roach CAS I Knox Grammar School, 15 Harley Wilson CHS 2 Epping Boys High School, 16 Angus Phillips GPS White St Ignatius College, 17 Kelvyn Togia CHS 2 Hills Sports High School, 18 Charley Turner IAS II Oakhill College, 19 Rowdy Laidlaw CHS 2 Warialda High School, 20 Fraser Wait GPS Blue The Kings School, 21 Henry Curll GPS Blue St Ignatius College. 22 Mathew Page CCC Xavier Catholic College Ballina, 23 Henry Colvin CAS I Knox Grammar School. Coach Matt Crawford Scot’s All Saints College, Assistant Coach Wil Brame Westfield Sports High School. Manager Mick McKinley Kurri Kurri High School

Queensland and Victoria competing last year.

VICTORIAN SCHOOLBOYS SQUAD

1 Alifa Laasia Staughton College Footscray JRUFC, 2 Haze Heke Hallam Secondary College Harlequins JRUFC, 3 Caedus Kakatisi Vaihu (C) Aquinas College Harlequins JRUFC, 4 John Brady Haileybury College Melbourne JRUFC, 5 Lisala Nakalevu Rowville Secondary College Harlequins JRUFC, 6 Seasisupi Teu Sunshine Secondary College Footscray JRUFC, 7 Ezra Imo Braybrook College Footscray JRUFC, 8 Puluna Vaea Scotch College, 9 Jehan Roland Mazenod College Harlequins JRUFC, 10 Stirling Keogh (VC) Scotch College, 11 Mackenzie Leith Maribyrnong Secondary College Footscray JRUFC, 12 Max Angove Trinity Grammar School Melbourne JRUFC, 13 Edward Lyons St Kevin’s College, 14 Zyon Iosefo Parade College Footscray JRUFC, 15 Jaziah Teofilo-Koko Emmanuel College, 16 Leo Bakhache Wesley College Harlequins JRUFC, 17 Mitchell Thomas Haileybury College Melbourne JRUFC, 18 Michael Taukapo Dandenong High School Harlequins JRUFC, 19 Charlie Wake Melbourne Grammar School, 20 Morgan Tanuvasa Fountain Gate Secondary College Endeavour Hills JRUFC, 21 Jerome William Westall Secondary College Moorabbin JRUFC, 2 Anaru Whakaari Melbourne Grammar School Footscray JRUFC 23 Tainui Whakaari Melbourne Grammar School Footscray JRUFC. Head Coach Liam Neveling Xavier College/Melbourne Rugby Club, Assistant Coach Conrad Foord Melbourne Rugby Club, Assistant Coach Nic Houbart Powerhouse Rugby Club Manager Tony Hollamby Our Lady’s Surrey Hills/Box Hill Rugby Club

NSW's Jackson Lill tackled by ACT.

ACT SCHOOLS XV

Seth Bellchambers Tumut High School, Kai Callaway Marist College Canberra, Chan-TungLake Ginninderra College, Darcy Devoy St Edmunds College, Oliver Fox Radford College, Tom Hedley Marist College Canberra, JamesHennecke Canberra College, Zander Hoskin Canberra Grammar School, Trae King Tumut High School, Billy Lachlan St Edmunds College, Henry Laidler Erindale College, Uli Latekefu Marist College Canberra, Joey Leuii Erindale Collegem Yanga Marela Erindale College, Jaiden Masaga Erindale College, Thomas Myszka Erindale College, Jack O’Mara Marist College Canberra, Brodie Preston Erindale College, Jeziah Sega Gungahlin College, Patrick Shepherd Marist College Canberra, Tom Stoker Canberra Grammar School, Maloi Terupo Marist College Canberra, Jordan Whittaker Gungahlin College. Coach: Angus Balmaks. Assistant Coach: Nick Jones. Manager: Rob Smethills.

NSW players ready for a line out last year.

QUEENSLAND 1

Jasper Asi Wavell State High School, Josh Barlow Sunshine Coast Grammar School, Moses Manu Brisbane State High School, Saxon Thompson Good Shepherd Lutheran College, Jackson Moloney Villanova College, El iLangi Brisbane State High School, Jack Henry Canterbury College, Jack Gordon Brisbane State High School, Tyler Stevens Keebra Park State High School, Nico Buckley Kings Christian College, Blake Miller Sunshine Coast Grammar School Netani Lesimaikimatuku Brisbane State High School, Sean Weir Ignatius Park College, Finn Lawson Mountain Creek State High School, Paddy McInally Brisbane State High School, Lochlan Smith Somerset College, Sial Mahina Brisbane State High School, Cyrus Suniula Brisbane State High School, Mackenzie Koch Downlands College, Sam Human Sunshine Coast Grammar School, Zander Esterhuizen North Lakes State College, Sam Condon Villanova College, Ratu Raicebe Ipswich State High School. Coach: Ben Cameron Kingston State College, Assistant Coach: Eric Smyth Springfield Central State School. Manager: Ben Cramp Merrimac State High School.

Australian Schools Rugby Championships in 2022.

QUEENSLAND II

1. Samuelu I’Iga Wavell State High School, 2. Manaaki Bateman St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe, 3. Phillip Vaoiva Bellbird Park State Secondary College, 4. Liam Manu Marsden State High School, 5. Wil Hope Kirwan State High School, 6. Joel Broderick Brisbane State High School, 7. Oscar Lane King’s Christian College, 8. Neshaun Treffery-Koenders Keebra Park State High School, 9. Jimmy Jackson Sunshine Coast Grammar School, 10. Kye Porter St Andrew’s Anglican College, Peregian Springs, 11. Mataio Tapau-Bon St Brendan’s College, 12. Heath Lindenmayer Downlands College, 13. James Grace Brisbane State High School, 14. Korrbin Skelton Marsden State High School, 15. Druzel Taula Pimpama State Secondary College, 16. Grady Wight The Rockhampton Grammar School, 17. Nate Hepi Sunshine Coast Grammar School, 18. Lewis Bryson King’s Christian College 19. Jack Gibson St Brendan’s College, 20. Taisia Leaupepe Brisbane Boys’ College 21. Demetrius Christodoulou Downlands College, 22. Lahbron Tamanika Brisbane Boys’ College, 23. Adam Khan Maryborough State High School. Coach Andrew Rye Department of Education – North Coast Region, Coach Andre Boon Brisbane Youth Education & Training Centre. Manager Dennis Russell Bremer State High School