Pasifika Youth Rugby Cup: What selectors want in President’s XV girls to play NSW, Western Force

The hunt is on at the Pasifika Youth Rugby Cup for a slew of special teenagers to fill two President’s XV teams for a new girls U16s and U18s event. What coaches want to see from players

Action at the 2023 Pasifika Youth Rugby Cup in an U14 girls match last year.

The hunt is on at the Pasifika Youth Rugby Cup in Sydney from Friday for special teenagers to fill two President’s XV teams to play in a new girls U16s and U18s event against NSW and Western Force in December

Selectors and the coaches of both sides will be monitoring players from the U16s and U18s competition at the Sydney tournament which is now an annual event and this year has attracted a record 1550 players along with a new U12s girls competition.

This will be the first time President’s XV teams have been selected and they will play NSW and Western Force young guns in a three-way girls tournament in Sydney in December.

It is hoped Queensland, a traditional rugby foe of NSW, will join the fray next year

The new event is a by-product of the growth of girls rugby in NSW and a way of providing more pathways and competitions for youngsters keen to engage in another format of the game rather than just sevens events.

Junior Ta’ale, who will coach the U18s team, said he expects the team picked out of the Pasifika Cup will be competitive against both the NSW and Western Australian teams.

And he has a good idea of the type of players he wants to pick for the upcoming tournament in December.

Some of the trophies on offer at the event in western Sydney.

“I want them to understand the format of 15s rugby and be a team player, not an individual,’’ he said.

“I want them to take ownership have speed, be strong and explosive.’’

Ta’ale said the team will be multinational with many players in contention fired up after missing out on NSW selection.

“I think they will be fired up for sure,’’ he said. “I’m just looking forward to seeing them play.

“We won’t have long with them. Just a couple of weeks, and bang, we play.’’

Action at last years event in the U14s division.

The number of girls playing this years has grown substantially..

Ta’ale said he would like to see the inaugural event expanded to include players from other states in the future as more young women turn to rugby as a preferred sport.

Under 16s coach Shane Williams is looking for some special traits in the players he wants in his President’s XV side.

“We will be coming up against teams that have been established over a few months so I will be looking for stamina and skill sets that are precise and quick over the ball,’’ he said.

“Even though this is a 15-a-side game and they are playing 10s this weekend I want girls that run the ball and move the others teams around, some speed and agility.

“A lot of these girls will have played with and against each other in different clubs and at school so we will try and link up some already established combinations in the forwards in particular. That’s so we have a ready made set piece play.’’

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Originally published as Pasifika Youth Rugby Cup: What selectors want in President’s XV girls to play NSW, Western Force