Australian schoolboy rugby championship favourite, smokey, most dangerous team, top tips

Good blokes off the field, bullies on it. That’s the goal of a team with big aspirations at the Australian Schools rugby titles. The favourites, dark horse, biggest menace ahead of the championships

Amanda Lulham

@amandalulham

3 min read

July 5, 2025 - 4:31PM

News Sport Network

Combined States playing ACT last year. Photo: Rachel Wright

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They may not have won for the past two years but there is a star-studded team of future champions the coaches believe has the biggest target on its back at this year’s Australian Schoolboy rugby championships.

An event with a storeyed history of producing hundreds of Super Ruby stars and Wallabies kicks off in Queensland on Monday with the best youngsters in the country assembling on the Sunshine Coast for the event.

“NSW Schools 1 are always the favourite. They get the first pick of the talent,’’ said NSW Juniors coach Doug Ryan of the system which gives NSW I first pick ahead of NSW II and NSW Juniors in every round of the selection process used to form the three NSW teams heading north.

“We have kids who don’t all come from the private schools, who missed out on Schools 1 and II.

“Schools (NSW) I and II are red hot. Both of them are very good. They have to be favourites.

“And Queensland (I and II) always want to put on a good show and I think they will be tough.’’

FUTURE WALLABIES ON SHOW

NSW 2 playing QLD at the championships last year. Picture: Anthony Edgar/ONESHOT

Despite NSW 1 going into both the 2023 and 2024 events as the top tip, they were beaten for the titles both times with NSW Juniors winning first and then Schools II last year.

Ryan said he is also on high alert for a Victorian surge at the championships and some good football from the ACT.

“The ACT could be the dark horse,’’ Ryan said.

“They don’t have the player pool like us but they are always determined to beat NSW. and Queensland

“And Victoria, we have them first round, and we are worried. They were strong last year and have a few players coming back so they could be a real smokey.’’

NSW Juniors defeating Victoria 33-17 last year. Picture: Rachel Wright

While their players are largely unseen and unknown by most of their rivals, Western

Australia are reportedly bringing a side to the Sunshine Coast with the potential to cause a major upset.

Ryan has a similar objective for his NSW Juniors.

He and fellow selectors have chosen a particular type of player to give NSW Juniors their best shot at upsetting their credentialed NSW and Queensland rivals at the Sunshine Coast tournament beginning on Monday.

“We deliberately chose particular kids who want to work hard along with some big physical specimens,’’ he said.

“We have quite a few big bruisers but then someone like Phillip O’Hare (Manly/CCC) who is like a jockey and great.

“We are after than balance of being bullies on the fields and good kids off it.

“We may not been the most skilled team but we want outmuscle everyone. We want to be known as the most dangerous.’’

With their players unseen and unknown by most of their rivals, Western

Australia are reportedly bringing a side to the Sunshine Coast with the potential to cause a major upset.

“You just never know what is going to happen at this event,’’ Ryan said.