Seven players from the New England zone have made the 23-man NSW Country Schoolboys squad, following trials held in Armidale over the June long-weekend.
The zone hosted the NSW Country Schools Rugby Carnival, which for the second year was held at The Armidale School (TAS). In cold and wet weather, players from the New England, Central North, Hunter, Illawarra, Mid North Coast and Far North Coast regions battled it out to impress selectors and gain their spot on the NSW Country squad.
Of the seven, six are students at TAS, including flanker Jock Armstrong, who was selected as Player of the Championships. Previous winners of this award include former Wallabies Sam Payne and Richard Tombs.
“Despite the weather, it was a terrific carnival with all teams playing well in the great spirit of rugby,” tournament director and Country Schools under 16s manager Jim Pennington said.
Following the carnival the squads will later this week attend a training camp at Collaroy on Sydney’s northern beaches ahead of a selection game against Combined Catholic Colleges at Warringah Park in Sydney on June 19 and Combined High Schools II at Knox Grammar School five days later.
The NSW Schoolboys teams will be announced later this month.
NSW Country Schools
Desmond Trent (Hunter), Andrew Wadsworth (H), Luke Burton (New England), Theo Risley (H), Mitch Anderson (H), Jock Armstrong (NE), Tim Worthing (Mid North Coast), Nick Milne (H), Lachlan Creighton (NE), Joe Andrews (H), Hugh Cartwright (H), Pierson Smyczynski (H), Joe Henderson (NE), Michael Grant (MNC), Dan Carr (Central North), Wade Tulloch (Illawarra), Angus Sutherland (NE), Michael Dickinson (MNC), Callum McIntosh (CN), Luke Heagney (NE), George Rixon (CN), Mark Drury (MNC), Tom Sewell (NE).
Under 16’s
Connor Young (FNC), Cody Graham (NE), Lachlan McCormick (NE), Peter Coetzer (MNC), Sam Huddy (FNC), Jackson Gilbey (NE ), Kyle O’Hara (NE), Jordan Betts (MNC), Jack Darcy (MNC), Jeb Freeman (MNC), Peter Lovelock (MNC), Tyson Nikara (MNC), Harry Brown (FNC), Dean Wilson (CN), Shaun Laurie (FNC), Tom Vincent (CN), Jack Hyland (FNC), Matt O’Rourke (CN), Nathan Poole (MNC), Joel Blackwell (NE ), Matt Nott (CN), Adrian Biviano (FNC), Sam Sewell (NE).
