Nudgee College schoolboy to link with Brumbies
With the announcement of Christian Lealiifano’s shock Brumbies departure, Nudgee College schoolboy Reesjan Pasitoa has entered the battle to wear the club’s famous No.10 jersey.
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When Nudgee College schoolboy Reesjan Pasitoa was being shown the ropes at Brumbies training this year by Christian Lealiifano, he never imagined he would be part of the succession plan to replace him.
Pasitoa is still just 17 but he’ll be on a plane to Canberra within days of finishing Year 12 to begin his professional rugby career at the Brumbies.
Lealiifano still has the most important games of his Brumbies career ahead of him over the next few weeks as he tries to turn Saturday night’s sudden-death quarter-final against the Sharks into something far bigger.
The wily 148-game veteran announced he is off to Japan next season which means the Brumbies will be backing a rookie successor at No.10 in 2020.
Youngsters Bayley Kuenzle, 21, Mack Hansen, 21, and Gold Coast product Noah Lolesio, 19, are already on the Brumbies books while Pasitoa is an exciting project on the tier behind them.
When the Brumbies played in Brisbane in March, they held their final training run at Nudgee College where Pasitoa joined in for the session.
“I had a great opportunity to train with the Brumbies for a week in Canberra in January and I was grateful to join in again when they trained at Nudgee,” Pasitoa said.
“I met Christian and all the players were very welcoming.
“To be around that calibre of players was pretty cool and inspiring but it was also good to see they are normal people.
“I’m really looking forward to flying down to Canberra a few days after school finishes this year but before then I’m really focused on doing well academically and the school rugby season.”
Pasitoa is a solid 98kg already. He’s a sharp and decisive runner, unselfish with his distribution and he operated at over 80 per cent as a goalkicker during Nudgee’s undefeated run to last year’s GPS premiership.
Pasitoa and his first XV teammates have a thrill in store when they play Brisbane State High as the curtain-raiser before the July 27 Test at Suncorp Stadium.
Lealiifano, 31, said Monday’s call was “probably the biggest decision I’ve made in my rugby career.”
“To farewell my beloved Brumbies, I am sad but I feel comfortable it is time to experience something new,” Lealiifano said.
“You never know when it’s a good time to step away but you want it to be when on top so it’s an exciting time with a home quarter-final and wanting to continue in the competition.”
Brumbies coach Dan McKellar said Lealiifano’s development as a leader and his character to fight back from leukaemia reflected his great qualities.
“What he’s brought to the club makes him a legend,” McKellar said.
“You can talk about Steve Larkham, George Gregan and Joe Roff but Christian is right up there.”
Winger Henry Speight (calf) will push to be fit to play the Sharks.
Originally published as Nudgee College schoolboy to link with Brumbies
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