Teddy Wilson in Junior Wallabies squad after Easts Shute Shield debut
At one stage he wanted to be a boxer. Now this teenage son of a former Wallaby has his sights firmly set on success on the footy field - alongside his lookalike brother.
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Teddy Wilson thought for a while that boxing would be his game.
He loved the physicality, the technique, even the training.
And while he eventually chose to follow the sport his father David played at the highest level with the Australian rugby team, Wilson believes his time in boxing still impacts his sporting life.
“For sure it makes you mentally tougher,’’ said the 18-year-old from Sydney’s northern beaches long earmarked as a rising star of rugby.
“I don’t do competitions any more but I loved it. But it came to the point where I was training too much and had to chose one sport.’’
In recent weeks that sport has produced some memorable moments for the former schoolboy star and son of a Wallaby who wore the green and gold 79 times - and helped Australia win the Bledisloe Cup on multiple occasions.
First the teenage Wilson made his Shute Shield debut for a victorious Eastern Suburbs against Randwick off the bench in round three.
More recently he has been named as a fresh reserve to play on Saturday against the Western Sydney Two Blues at Wade Park at Orange in round five of the Shute Shield.
And in-between Wilson, who lives at Curl Curl and played his junior footy with the Harbord Harlequins and Manly Marlins, has had his position in the 45-strong Junior Wallabies squad confirmed ahead of a camp in Canberra next week.
“I played two weeks against Randwick off the bench for 20 minutes and it was incredible,’’ said Wilson, whose brother Harry, 21, is also a rising star of the sport with the Waratahs and Eastwood and who joined Easts when he finish his schooling at The Kings School at Parramatta.
“Hopefully get a bit more game time. Not many get to debut at 18 so it was a special moment. I’m So grateful Pauli (Taumoepeau, Easts coach) gave me the chance.’’
Wilson said he has benefited from being in the Waratahs Gen Blues program in recent times and was thrilled to make his second Junior Wallabies squad.
“It’s a big step and very exciting,’’ he said.
“I do want to be a Wallaby, to be there one day, to do it beside my brother. He’s got the same goal,'’ Wilson said.
“The main thing now is improving and playing well for my club,'' he said.
Easts currently sit in seventh place on the Shute Shield ladder with a 2-2 win/loss record which they are expected to improve with a victory over the winless two Blues this weekend.
Sydney University and Northern Suburbs are the only teams without a loss in the premier club competition after four rounds.
NSW RUGBY PLAYERS CRACK JUNIOR WALLABIES SQUAD 2021
The second Junior Wallabies camp of the year will be held next week with numerous NSW players and a number of new faces in the 45-strong squad.
The camp is providing players with the opportunity to push their cases for final squad selection leading into the Oceania U20s Championship in July.
NSW Academy players selected in 2021 Junior Wallabies Camp Two Squad: Zac Barnabas*, Manly, Hugh Bokenham, Sydney University, Dan Botha, Sydney University, Adrian Brown, Eastwood, Nick Chan, Randwick, Ben Dowling, Randwick, Thomas Maka, Gordon, Hamish Moore, Easts, Dan O’Brien*, Randwick, Irie Papuni, Easts, George Poolman*, Sydney Uni, Witika Rees-Hatu*, Gordon, Papillon Sevele, Sydney University, Paddy Tagg*, Sydney University, Sione Taufui, Sydney University, Tiaan Tauakipulu, Randwick, Mosese Tuipulotu, Easts, Teddy Wilson, Easts. *Denotes new squad member
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