National U16, U19 rugby championship: Sons of Wallabies, Kangaroos in series, teams, schedule
They are sons of rugby and league guns ready to continue their rise in the sport in the national U16, U19 rugby championships. Meet the familiar names and faces.
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Their names are familiar to sports fans, and in some cases, so too are their moves.
A host of the offspring of former football stars - from both rugby and league - will be out to make their mark in the upcoming U16, U19 national rugby championships kicking off in Brisbane this weekend.
The event will be run over a series of weekends in different states with the NSW Waratahs among the favourites and taking on the Queensland Reds in their opening matches of the tournament on Sunday.
High performance national programs coach Nathan Grey will select a preliminary 2023 Junior Wallabies squad from the U19s event along with a U16s select team.
“The sporting landscape is tough with soccer, AFL, league … we want to provide something unique where they can see a clear pathway in their journey,’’ Grey said.
SURPRISING PLAYER SELECTORS WANT
GEN BLUE PLAYERS TO WATCH V REDS
The Waratahs U19 side boosts a number of youngsters who have followed their fathers into the game.
One is Jack Bowen, a contracted Waratahs and the son of former Wallaby Scott Bowen.
Another is Teddy Wilson who is the son of Australian player Dave Wilson.
In the 16s rugby league legend Brad Fittler’s son Zach from The Scots College is playing alongside schoolmate Toby Brial, son of former Wallaby Michael. Tom Farr-Jones, the nephew of Nick, is also a squad mate.
Other players with family connections to the sport from Academy teams include Hugo Welborn (U19 Western Force), son of Wallaby John Welborn, Willem Johnston (U19 Queensland Reds), son of Wallaby Brett Johnston, Tom Robinson (U16 Queensland Reds), son of Wallaby Brett Robinson, Tom Howard (U16 Queensland Reds), son of Wallaby Pat Howard and Ben Kafer (U19 ACT Brumbies), the son of Wallaby Rod Kafer
The five-week rugby championships is being contested by five rugby franchises and was last held back before the coronavirus pandemic in 2019.
In the first weekend of double-headers the Brumbies will take on the Force and the Reds will play the Waratahs.
The two top sides after the rounds will meet in a competition decider on November 13 at a venue still to be determined.
Every match of the National U16 and U19 Rugby Championships will be broadcast on Stan Sport.
NATIONAL U16, U19 RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIPS 2022
Round 1
October 9
Brumbies V Force, Viking Park – U16 11:00am, U19 12:30pm
Reds V Waratahs, Sunnybank RC – U16 1:00pm, U19 2:30pm
Rebels V BYE
Round 2
October 12: Rebels V Force, Powerhouse Junior Rugby Club – U16 12:00pm, U19 1:30pm
October 16: Waratahs V Brumbies, Waratahs HQ, Daceyville – U16 12:30pm, U19 2:00pm
Reds V BYE
Round 3
October23
Waratahs V Rebels, Waratahs HQ, Daceyville – U16 1:00pm, U19 2:15pm
Brumbies V Reds, Viking Park – U16 2:30pm, U19 4:00pm
Force V BYE
Round 4
October 30
Force V Reds, Southern Lions RC – U16 10:30am, U19 12:00pm
Rebels V Brumbies, Powerhouse Junior Rugby Club – U16 12:00pm, U19 1:30pm
Waratahs V BYE
Round 5
November 6
Force V Waratahs, Wanneroo RC – U16 9:30am, U19 11:00am
Reds V Rebels, Sunnybank RC – U16 11:45am, U19 1:15pm
Brumbies V BYE
Grand Final
November13
1st Place V 2nd Place, Venue TBC – U16 TBC, U19 TBC
SQUADS AND TEAMS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Queensland U16s Squad
Lochlan Smith | Queensland Country | South Queensland, Blaze Moana | The Southport School | Palm Beach Currumbin | Gold Coast, Alex Schumaker | Ipswich Grammar School | Sunnybank, Cameron Ray | Brisbane Boys College | UQ, Ewald Kruger | Toowoomba Grammar School | Dalby | Darling Downs, Harry Solofa | Anglican Church Grammar School | Easts, Emil Willie-Jawai | Anglican Church Grammar School, Princeton Ioane | St Joseph’s Nudgee College, Will Pascoe | Brisbane Grammar School | Townsville, Avery Thompson | Brisbane Boys College, John Ryan | Downlands College Toowoomba, Tom Robinson | St Joseph’s College Gregory Terrace, Jake Stephens | Downlands College Toowoomba | Darling Downs, Amare Milford | The Southport School | Helensvale | Gold Coast, Joseph Stoddart | Anglican Church Grammar School, Billy Wellard | The Southport School | Gold Coast, Jasper Barry | Marist College Ashgrove, John Grenfell | Queensland Country | Central Queensland
Tom Goldie | The Southport School | Gold Coast, Samuel Watson | St Joseph’s Nudgee College, Tauave Leofa | Brisbane State High School, Charlie O’Connell | St Joseph’s Nudgee College, Zac Nicol | Sunshine Coast Grammar School| Sunshine Coast, Ryan Heaton | St Joseph’s Nudgee College, Chace Oates | Toowoomba Grammar School | Toowoomba Bears | Darling Downs, Prestyn Lain -Setu | St Joseph’s Nudgee College, Blake Miller | Sunshine Coast Grammar School | Sunshine Coast, Tom Howard | Marist College Ashgove | GPS, Cameron Philip | Anglican Church Grammar School, James Duggan | St Joseph’s Nudgee College, Trace Beattie | Queensland Country | Central Queensland, David Colavalu | Brisbane Boys College
Queensland Reds U19s Squad
Alex Miles | Bond University, Angus Ward | University of Queensland, Charlie Wigan | University of Queensland, Dylan Loader | Bond University, George Stoddart | Easts, Harrison Usher | Bond University, Harry Grant | Brothers, Harry McLaughlin-Phillips | Souths, Hunter Lim | Brothers, Jack Booker | University of Queensland, Jack Hussey | Norths, Jackson Connelly | Norths, Jarrod Homan | Easts, Jayvan Scarff | Sunnybank, Joe Liddy | Easts, John Bryant | Souths, Lachlan Shaw | University of Queensland, Leandro Tupi | Souths, Matthew Brice | Queensland Country, Max Craig | Easts, Nick Baker | GPS, Nick Bloomfield | Easts
Noah Hartely | University of Queensland, Robert Mapa | Brothers, Sam Farrar | Easts, Saxon Warwick | Souths, Stuart Tualima | GPS, Taj Annan | Easts, Tanna Wilson | Brothers
Tim Ryan | Brothers, Tyrone Albertyn | Bond, Will McCulloch | Norths, Will Robinson | University of Queensland, Willem Johnstone | Souths.
Waratahs U16 squad
Billy Hansen (NSW Schools (GPS), The Scots College) Daniel Christodoulou (Sydney Juniors, West Harbour) Daniel Meafou (NSW Schools (CCC), Edmund Rice College) Edwin Langi (NSW Schools (GPS), The Kings School) Harper Strachan (NSW Schools (AICES), Hunter Valley Grammar School) Heath Turner (NSW Schools (CAS), Knox Grammar) Henry Seigmeier (NSW Schools (GPS), St Joseph’s College) Connor Dempsey (Sydney Juniors, Northern Suburbs) Luca Cleverley (Sydney Juniors, Randwick) Luke Muriti (NSW Schools (ISA), Oakhill College) Marshall Le Maitre (NSW Schools (GPS), Shore School) Max Meaghger (NSW Schools (CAS), Trinity Grammar School) Nick Hill (NSW Schools (CAS), Barker College) Oliver Aboud (Sydney Juniors, Randwick) Sam Niulala (Sydney Juniors, Northern Suburbs) Toby Brial (NSW Schools (GPS), The Scots College) Tyler Byrne (Sydney Juniors, Manly) Zion Poitaha (NSW Schools (CAS), Waverley College)
Alex Conti (NSW Schools (ISA), St Patrick’s College) Casey McLean (NSW Schools (GPS), Newington College) Charlie Heidke (NSW Country, Illawarra) Charlie Poynton (NSW Schools (CAS), Barker College) Darcy Brown (NSW Country, Hunter) Tom Farr-Jones (Sydney Juniors, Randwick) Leo Jaques (NSW Schools (GPS), The Scots College) Matt Humphries (NSW Schools (GPS), Newington College) Mitchell Woods (NSW Schools (ISA), St Patrick’s College) Sam Blank (NSW Schools (ISA), St Augustine’s) Taite Howells (Sydney Juniors, Eastwood) Toby Rodwell (NSW Schools (GPS), Newington College) Tom Watts (NSW Schools (GPS), The Kings School) Tyler Berryman (NSW Schools (CHS), Narrabeen Sports High School) Zach Fittler (NSW Schools (GPS), The Scots College) Riley Evans (NSW Country, Mid North Coast)
SHADOW FORWARD
James Warner (NSW Schools (GPS), Shore School) Joel Jacobs (NSW Schools (GPS), The Scots College) Nathaniel Thomas (NSW Schools (CAS), Barker College) Arthur Greer (NSW Schools (GPS), St Joseph’s College) Jed Smith (NSW Country, Hunter).
SHADOW BACKS
Max Soepono (NSW Schools (GPS), The Scots College) Tua Patea (NSW Schools (CAS), Waverley) John Cameron-Murphy (NSW Schools (ISA), St Andrews Cathedral School) Lance Tovio (NSW Schools (CAS), Cranbrook School)
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