Camp Wallaby has again proved a huge success, with just over 400 aspiring stars of the game being exposed to some of the best minds in Australian Rugby.
Established in 2007, Camp Wallaby was first introduced as a means of connecting all ages and skill-levels together with the three most forward-thinking Rugby brains in the country – including Qantas Wallabies coaches Robbie Deans, Jim Williams and Patricio Noriega.
With improving numbers since its inception, Camp Wallaby took on a new format in 2011 with the introduction of a fourth day, an inaugural women’s program and an invitational Indigenous scholarship scheme. The scheme was adopted by the Sydney-based Eora Warriors who laid the foundation for future Indigenous players, impressing fellow campers and Deans himself.
Held at St Ignatius College, Riverview, the 2011 camp was split in two with 290 registrations in the TryRugby Kids Pathway Camp – a modified version of the game, suitable for both boys and girls. The 6-12-year-olds were gifted the biggest prize of all with Qantas Wallabies head coach Robbie Deans putting them through their paces on the first day.
The Pathway to Gold High Performance Camp, held across the final two days, saw over 100 11-16-year-olds directed around the park by Qantas Wallabies assistant coaches Jim Williams and Patricio Noriega. The older of the Camp Wallaby 2011 participants were run off their feet by the two 1999 World Cup winning Wallabies forwards, undergoing similar physical and skill-testing to that of the national squad.
Every participant received a TryRugby cap, TryRugby water bottle, and TryRugby football. Pathway to Gold Campers received a training shirt and training manual as well.
2011 Camp Wallaby Best Campers:
TryRugby Kids Pathway Camp
6-7
Charlie Sharp
Knox O’Connor
8-9
Zak Harrison
Luke Bowers
William Rapley
Matt Taylor
Liam Kelly
Campbell Wilson
10
Ross Batho
Sione Vuki
Alex Sidhu
Ryan Connolly
11-12
William Harris
Dylan Quirk
Paddy Dalton
Pathway to Gold High Performance Camp
11-12
Mitchell Frawley
13-14
Toby Knight
15-16
Michael Joubert
Feedback from parents so far:
“It was a marvellous four days that you provided for the boys. They thoroughly enjoyed the experience and a heartfelt thankyou to all the coaches, mentors and staff who not only provided time on the days but also all the work behind the scenes needed to make it a total success. I will recommend this experience to all aspiring rugby juniors."
All the best
John White
Maitland Blacks”
“I just wanted to thank your team on behalf of our son Luke who had a great time at the camp.
Luke was lucky enough to be one of the boys in the group to be presented with the signed poster and back pack filled with goodies."
Thanks for your time and once again thanks to the great team of coaches for all their effort over the two days.
Tereza Bowers”
“I wanted to send a quick thank you for the fantastic camp run over the April 2011 holidays. My son Isaac had a great time and said he picked up quite a few helpful tips.
Regards, ANTHONY KHOURY“
“Just wanted to provide you with some feedback following the camp last week.
I have an 8 year old and 10 year old boy - Ben and Alex. They thoroughly enjoyed the camp, spending time with their friends and improving their skills. I also spent a bit of time watching and was amazed at how well the coaches managed to engage the boys (all three hundred of them). The coaches were firm but fair and set very clear boundaries.
Well done, we will definitely participate in the camp again.
Regards, Julia Morton”
Find out more information on Camp Wallaby