Boys from Penrith rugby union team hold heads high after rollercoaster season

IT WAS a season full of ups and downs for the Penrith RSL rugby union under-12s team, but all of the boys kept up a positive attitude throughout.

IT WAS a season full of ups and downs for the Penrith RSL rugby union under-12s team, but its positive attitude throughout earnt it a Team Spirit award nomination.

The boys’ coach David Moeakiola said despite their 12 straight losses, they had “that fighting spirit”.

“We played the first nine rounds with an undermanned side,” Moeakiola said.

“We would have 11 players, 12 players, and, at one game, we were offered a few players from the opposition team.’’

The coach said he had a great passion for training the close-knit team of boys.

“Most of the kids in the team went to other clubs, but weren’t given the opportunity to play because they weren’t good enough and they lost their self-esteem,” he said.

Despite this, the team gained some more players and went on to make it to the semi-finals, travelling as far as Manly and the Sutherland area to compete.

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“For a team that was made up of many kids that had been rejected by pretty much every team in the district, the competition we played was very hard,” Moeakiola said.

He added he loved seeing the smiles on their faces, their level of courage and the ongoing will to learn.

“Even the opposition parents were cheering for our team ... they are real success stories,” he said.

Nominations have now closed and finalist selections start today.