Top 20 Warwick rugby players revealed from hometown heroes to young guns making their mark
The Rose City’s own Water Rats have plenty of young talent, heavy hitters and stars to watch as they fire on all cylinders this season. Meet the boys here.
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The Rose City’s mighty rugby team are flying high this season, going from strength to strength in the Bill Flamsteed Cup competition.
After the legendary “Year of the Rat” in which the Warwick side were declared champions of the Downs in 2020, the club is once again in hot form.
Recent victories over St George and Condamine have seen the Rats pursue the top of the table and maintain a top-half position in 2024.
The Rats will play Toowoomba Bears this weekend at home, on May 18, in a Ladies Day raising funds for Protea Place.
Here’s the players you need to know about this season:
Will Ole
AGE: 23
Dominant scrummager and strong with the ball in hand.
POSITION: Hooker, Prop
Ole is a dominant scrummager and strong with the ball in hand.
Dean Cullen
AGE: 29
POSITION: prop
This prop is strong around the breakdown and set pieces.
Lourens Wiid
AGE: 23
POSITION: Backrow, Second Row
The defensive workhorse always looking to make tackles and very opportunistic in attack.
Michael Cahill
AGE: 39
POSITION: prop
Cahill is a strong ball runner always looking to truck the ball up.
Ross Murray
AGE: 39
POSITION: second row
Murray is dubbed a set piece specialist, with a particularly strong lineout jump, who loves to hit a ruck.
Jake Keogh
AGE: 29
POSITION: Second row
Keogh is described as solid in defence, always looking for work around the field.
Brad Johnson
AGE: 41
POSITION: back row
This hardworking and loyal backrower is a club stalwart who with the ball in hand is still as elusive as ever.
Jolame Vai
AGE: 26
POSITION: back row
A devastating runner with the ball in hand, always looking to create space.
Hamish Swift
AGE: 18
POSITION: half back
The Rats young gun possesses great passing skills and fills an important position we have struggled to in recent years.
Tom Gillespie
AGE: 22
POSITION: fly half
Gillespie is a strong communicator with the ability to play the game with great foresight.
Luke Hauff
AGE: 21
POSITION: centre
He’s developing into a strong secondary playmaker in the centres, not afraid to run the hard lines.
Levi Paaka
AGE: 23
POSITION: centre
Paaka is a strong ball runner with great defensive awareness.
Isikeli Nakoroilagilagi
AGE: 30
POSITION: wing
Nakoroilagilagi has a strong work ethic and has great agility on the field.
Alosio Abele
AGE: 23
POSITION: wing
Abele is able to break the defensive line with his hard carries and is an absolute wall in defence.
Jay Mitchell
AGE: 24
POSITION: fullback, centre
This versatile young gunisgreat under the high ball and has pace to burn.
Lachlan Moore
AGE: 24
POSITION: flanker
Moore is able to move around the field very quickly and has great leg drive in contact.
Scott Taat
AGE: 19
POSITION: flanker
Another young gun and hailing from Scots, Taat is extremely versatile, able to cover back row and most positions in the backline when needed. Very strong defensively.
You can get tickets to the Ladies Day fixture against Toowoomba here.
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