2020 Gold Coast Junior Rugby Grand Final Day
The Gold Coast’s champions of junior rugby have been crowned at a festival of union at the Yatala Rams home field at Windaroo Valley State School. WATCH THE REPLAYS.
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The Gold Coast’s champions of junior rugby will crowned at a festival of union at the Yatala Rams home field at Windaroo Valley State School.
The Gold Coast Bulletin will stream all finals from U14s-U17s.
Tune in to this article from 9am to catch the games.
Gold Coast Rugby Union. Photo Scott Powick Newscorp
UNDER-17 GRAND FINAL
12:30 – Helensvale Hogs (71) v Surfers Paradise Dolphins (7)
Helensvale Hogs have won back-to-back premierships in the Gold Coast Under-17s division with a 71-7 victory over Surfers Paradise.
The classy Hogs turned the match into a training run in the second half with effortless ball movement leaving Surfers Paradise with no answers.
Helensvale crosses for two tries in the first five minutes and never let its foot off the throat, with top performances from halves Tyler Maxwell and Xavier McEldowney, centre Elijah Hola and the entire front row.
Coach Chad Maxwell said he knew his side were capable of a scoreline like this if they started the match strong.
The Hogs delivered and ran away with their second straight undefeated division title.
“Our starts have been our undoing all season but this game we started really well,” Maxwell said.
“The boys were fired up. We’d heard through the grapevine that Surfers had recruited a few players they hadn’t used so far this season so we used that as a bit of motivation.
“Our boys were prepared and getting that start right was major because we dominated the rest of the game.”
TALE OF THE SEASON
Hogs : Helensvale have reaped the rewards of years of play alongside each other.
Coach Chad Maxwell has coached this year group since Under-5s and followed them right the way through,
They went undefeated in this division in 2019 and were boosted by the graduation of premiership-winning under-15s through to the main side this year.
A 42-10 semi-final win over Nerang was impressive, as was a 116-0 victory over Bond the week before.
Their undefeated start to the season will be tested by a Surfers outfit hitting their straps at the right time.
Dolphins: The ultimate underdogs. Four weeks ago Surfers were bottom of the table and struggling to field a side.
Then it all clicked – and an undefeated streak has swept them to a semi-final upset and a place in the final.
GAMEBREAKER
Hogs: Xavier McEldowney is the Gold Coast’s best schoolboy fly half, and when paired with halfback Tyler Maxwell the pair appear simply unstoppable. McEldowney is a capable running threat who can carve up a defence with his speed and footwork or his passing
Surfers: Skipper Koji Goulding played in the same King’s Christian College First XV as McEldowney so will be well aware of the threats he poses. Goulding’s leadership, demonstrated so well when leading his team on their captain’s runs, could inspire an unforgettable upset.
UNDER-15 GRAND FINAL
10:40 – Surfers Paradise Dolphins (19) v Bond Pirates (12)
Surfers Paradise have notched their second Grand Final win of the day, adding the Under-15s crown to the U13s premiership won earlier today.
The Under-15s held on to triumph 19-12 over Bond Pirates, who scored late to bring on a grandstand finish.
Surfers turned over possession and held on to close out the match with a seven-point margin.
Yellow cards to both sides when Surfers had built a lead hampered Bond’s comeback effort.
Surfers coach Simaile Simona praised Dylan Nolan, Rocco Gollings and Kaelin Simona for their strong performances in the decider.
TALE OF THE SEASON
Surfers: Surfers have been the kings of this age group for three years straight but their reign will be challenged on Saturday.
A large contingent of The Southport School players are unavailable for selection, leaving Surfers to contest last week’s semi-final with just one reserve on their bench.
Bond have been bridesmaids in this age group for just about every season and Surfers know the Pirates will smell blood in the water.
Bond: If you ask Bond they’ve been Surfers’ equals for years, and Saturday is their chance to prove it.
The sides met three times in 2020 and Surfers came away undefeated, though one draw demonstrated how close the Pirates can come.
They will draw upon the cohesion of a team who has played alongside each other for years in the hope of notching their first win against the Dolphins this year.
GAMEBREAKER
Surfers: Rocco Gollings is the son of England’s greatest ever Rugby Sevens player and coaches at Surfers believe he can bring the same gamebreaking impact to the Under-15s Grand Final from inside centre.
Bond: Indy Dorrough is the cousin of former Australian Sevens playmaker and Randwick player Freddy Dorrough so there is strong rugby ability in his genes as well. Coach Randall Cook rates his outside centre as nearly impossible to tackle and the type of player who intimidates opponents on sight. They call him Alexander the Great for his resemblance to the Macedonian king.
UNDER-14 GRAND FINAL
9:00 – Gold Coast Eagles (21) v PBC Alleygators (7)
A desperate second-half stand with the result hanging in the balance has rewarded the Gold Coast Eagles with the Under-14 GCDRU Premiership.
The Eagles were in control 14-0 in the first half when an injury to a Palm Beach player brought the game to a halt, blunting their momentum and allowing the Alleygators to find their feet in the match.
The Gators drew closer with a try and had the chance to tie the match in the second until a goal line stand repelled their advance.
Eagles ran away with a try to seal the match at 21-7.
Eagles coach Grant Steffek said his side’s desperate defence on the line for six or seven minutes decided the championship.
“The future is bright at Eagles,” the victorious coach declared.
“We only had three junior teams this year but with a new committee and financial stability the Eagles are on the up.”
TALE OF THE SEASON
Eagles : The Eagles are ready for Grand Final football having overcome several nailbiting fixtures to end their regular season undefeated.
Palm Beach especially made them work for their results with both matches played on a knife’s edge.
Coach Grant Steffek concedes his side may have been lucky to win both of them.
Will their luck hold a third time?
Gators: The Gators were nearly all-conquering but for their two narrow losses to the Eagles.
They finished second on the ladder and will fittingly meet them in the final.
Their scrum is a weapon and their team have nailed down the basics of attacking rugby, allowing them to play with flair when the moment is right.
GAMEBREAKER
Eagles: There’s no true ‘gamebreaker’ in the classical sense for an Eagles team that thrives on organisation and teamwork. The ringleader of the bunch is Daniel ‘Boots’ Teren, their skipper and second-row forward, who ensures egos are checked in at the door and the game plan is followed with metronomic precision.
Gators: Quietly-spoken No. 8 Charlie Fahey is the team’s biggest difference maker. His intelligent play from the back of the scrum is important to the Gators’ success and his limitless engine is matched by his comfort in uncomfortable positions.
UNDER-13 GRAND FINAL
9:00 – Surfers Paradise Dolphins (34) v Bond Pirates (5)
Surfers Paradise have stormed to a 34-5 victory over Bond Pirates in the GCDRU Under-13 Grand Final.
The Dolphins dominated the contest with six tries to the Pirates one, with the seeds of their victory planted in a frenzied opening five minutes.
Surfers’ hunger for victory was clear with strong carries, defence and scrummaging.
Coach Darren Uys said he knew there could be no other result for his team after that opening period.
“We were so fired up,” Uys said.
“We basically sucker-punched them in the first five minutes and their body language showed they weren’t there to play.
“We blew them off the park, which was a shame because I said to their coach they were a better team than what they showed today.
“After five minutes I knew we were going to win.”
TALE OF THE SEASON
Bond : Pirates were sitting equal first on the table until they met Surfers for the second time, with a try on the buzzer splitting the series at 1-all between them.
It will be a worthy Grand Final clash when they meet for the third time to decide the champions of the division.
Surfers: An early loss to Bond was the only defeat Surfers suffered through the 2020 season but they could have been so much more, according to coach Darren Uys.
On a pre-season tour of the Sunshine Coast the young Dolphins looked unstoppable and then COVID hit, taking the squad back to square one.
GAMEBREAKER
Bond: Joshua Osborne is a fleet-footed track and field champion at St Michael’s College during the week and a gamebreaking fullback for the Pirates on the weekends. Dangerous in open space.
Surfers: Inside centre Aropeta Tuuina is “big, strong and brutal” in defence but there are few weaknesses to his game. He’s a well-rounded midfielder.
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