Sydney University rugby 1st Colts’ future Wallabies, schoolboys for SRU chase, Rd 1 team

They have schoolboys, players labelled future Wallabies and a try scoring sensation. Sydney University also has plenty of motivation ahead of the 2025 Sydney Rugby Union 1st Colts season.

Amanda Lulham

@amandalulham

2 min read

April 3, 2025 - 11:31AM

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Eamon Doyle, playing for the Waratahs, is with Sydney Uni.

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They have schoolboys, players with potential to be future Wallabies and a try scoring sensation. Sydney University also has plenty of motivation ahead of the 2025 Sydney Rugby Union 1st Colts season.

Uni’s 1st Colts boast multiple rising stars of the game and a fierce determination to make it all the way to the season decider this year after being beaten by Gordon in a semi-final shock in 2024.

Coach Mike Stubbs believes he has the talent - and importantly the depth - to achieve the feat despite identifying defending champions Eastern Suburbs as the team to beat this year.

Sydney Uni open their campaign against West Harbour on Saturday in round one of the competition which over the years have been a proven ground for rising stars of the game.

But missing from action will be their biggest names thanks to their Australian under 20 squad commitments.

“We knew it would be happening so we planned ahead,’’ Stubbs said of the loss of a number of his guns for the opener of the season.

Sydney University has a big presence in the Australian U20 squad coached by Chris Whittaker with the highly regarded Eamon Doyle, Joe Mangelsdorf, Hwi Sharples, Joey Fowler and Liam Grover all catching the eye of selectors after top performances in a series of U20 trials this year and the Super Rugby U19s series in 2024.

Hwi Sharples in the recent match between the Waratahs and Queensland Reds U20s. Picture: Stephen Archer.

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“We will get them for five to seven games,’’ Stubbs said of his rep players.

Their absence opens the way for other players at the club to attract attention from Waratahs selectors who are closely monitoring the competition with the new Tahs Under 19s squad in mind.

“We have recruited pretty well and promoted a lot from second Colts who won last year.

“It’s pretty exciting. We have a lot of new players coming though.’’

Also at Uni is try scoring whiz Tom Hartman who recently returned from injury and schoolboys Isieli Moli and Nathan Fua.

Also of interest is the fact that Stubbs will this season be coaching against his assistant from last year, Dave Thomas, who is now at the Warringah Rats on Sydney’s northern beaches.

The pair will meet up in round three of the competition.

SYDNEY UNIVERSITY 1ST COLTS FOR RD 1

Harper Strachan, Hamish Grover, Nathan Fua, Ned Ericsson, Cam Webster, Isi Moli, Dan Saunders, Charlie Bull, Tom Goldie, Henry Conick, Kami Tuqalo, Pat O’Connor, Dane Mitchell, King Manu, Ben Chick