The National Indigenous U18s School Boys team is set to make their mark on the Australian School Rugby Union Division Two Championships with the team departing for Melbourne today ahead of the four day tournament.
In total six teams from across Australia will compete in the 2011 Division Two Championships, which are set to kick off tomorrow at Box Hill in Melbourne.
The National Indigenous U18s School boys team will face off against sides from Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia and Victoria for the title.
The National Indigenous team was selected by the Lloyd McDermott Rugby Development Team following the U18s National Indigenous School boys camp held in Alice Springs in April.
The three day camp, attended by 88 young Indigenous players from across Australia, was run by the Lloyd McDermott Rugby Development Team in conjunction with ARU as part of the Commonwealth Government’s No School No Play program.
The Commonwealth Government’s No School No Play program uses sport as an incentive to encourage students to improve school attendance and behaviour, the initiative aims to build strong partnerships between sporting organisations, parents and communities of secondary school students.
Every player selected in the National Indigenous U18s School boys side has met agreed attendance and behavioural standards, which were part of the No School No Play program contract they signed in April at the three day camp.
Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth, Peter Garrett, said the No School No Play program works to promote the benefits of regular school attendance to students in targeted schools.
“Many students are highly motivated to play their favourite sport, and we are using that desire and motivation to increase their commitment to school,” Mr Garrett said.
“Because these players have worked hard both on and off the field and met the requirements of the contracts they signed as part of the No School No Play program they now have the opportunity to reap the rewards of representing their communities at the Division Two Championships.
“I’m sure the experiences the 23 players get from participating in the Championships will help them develop into strong leaders and role models for their local communities.
“I’d like to congratulate Australian Rugby Union and the Lloyd McDermott Development Team on participating in the No School No Play program and helping to ensure we close the gap on Indigenous education.”
ARU Managing Director and CEO, John O’Neill AO, congratulated the 23 young men selected in the National Indigenous U18s School boys side, and wished all the teams participating in the Championships good luck.
“I am very pleased Rugby has been able to play a part in encouraging young men to stay in school through the No School No Play program and a lot of credit must go Tom Evans and the Lloyd McDermott Rugby Development Team for the work they’ve done,” Mr O’Neill said.
“I have no doubt the experiences the players will gain from being part of the National Indigenous side as well as maintaining a high attendance record will be extremely valuable to them as they move through life.
“I wish all sides participating in the Australian School Rugby Union Division Two Championships over the next four days the very best and encourage them to enjoy the experience and the competition.”
The six teams will arrive in Melbourne today and will be billeted in local homes for the duration of the Championships.
The Championships will culminate in the naming of a Combined States team, which will compete in the Novotel Australian Schools Rugby Union Championships beginning on Sunday 3 July.
CHAMPIONSHIP DRAW:
DAY 1
• *Victoria v National Indigenous U18s School Boys
• Northern Territory v Tasmania
• Western Australia v South Australia
DAY 2
• *Northern Territory v South Australia
• Victoria v Tasmania
• Western Australia v National Indigenous U18s School Boys
DAY 3
• *Tasmania v Western Australia
• Victoria v Northern Territory
• National Indigenous U18s School Boys v South Australia
DAY 4
• Finals games to be determined.
• Naming of the Combined States Side.
*denotes non-competition games.
TEAMS:
National Indigenous U18s School Boys:
Liam Lawford (Merewether High School), Robert Townsend (Lumen Christi Catholic College), Blake Darlington (Barraba High School), Ashley Kenny (Youth Connections), David Sulter (Coonabarabran High School), Cameron Eastment (St Laurences College), Taylor Minchin (Erindale College), Ethan Kelly (Duval High School), Lloyd Simms-Chambers (Ipswich Grammar School), Akeem Willams-Coveny (Dakabin State High School), Isiah Dawe (St Gregory's College, Campbelltown), Robert Kennedy (St Gregory's College, Campbelltown), James Moylan (Killarney Heights High School), Lloyd Stiegler (Emerald State High School), John Porch (Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School), Eddie Wasaga-Thompson (St Peter's Lutheran College), Lachlan Miller (Ipswich Grammar School), Jayke Stevenson (Marist College Ashgrove), Patrick Booth (Erindale College), Timothy Worthing (Macksville High School), Jordon Thomas (Nowra High), Steven Daniel (Shalom Christian College), Samson Link-Hookey (Wavelle State High School).
Victoria:
Chris Ricketts (Scotch College), David Taivai (Dandenong High), Ed Davis (Trinity Grammar), Virgil Taua’a (Dandenong High), Shawn Tunumafono (Wanganui Park College), Andrew Aiolupotea (Mill Park College), Walter Leaumoana (Saleslan College), Jubal Clarken (Hallam Secondary), Jonathan Sua (Parade College), Malaki Enosa (Epping Secondary), Jason Paul Manuel (Seda), Jared Deo (East Doncaster), Juke Nono (NMIT), Hayden Whitelaw (Mt Eliza College), Ben Woolnough (Ivanhoe Grammar), Jack Porritt (Melbourne Grammar), Sione Vemoa (Hallam Secondary), Mathew Onesemo (Hallam Secondary), Pukepuke Morehu (Frankston High), Harry Austin (Melbourne Grammar), Jackson Cormick (Swinbourne College), Eugene Lynch (Marcellin College), Thomas Bohle (Mill Park College).
Northern Territory:
Kosta Elenis (Nudgee, QLD), Mark Gillam (Tafe, SA), Ashley Brooking (Centralian Senior College), Chris Ewin (Palmerston Senior college), Brad Hogan (TAFE, CDU), BJ Byrnes (Taminmin High School), Jarred Rees (TAFE, CDU), Sani Raqiawa (Darwin High School), Alec Palmer (Kormilda College), Rhys Mulholland (TAFE, CDU), Matt Trnka (Taminmin High School), Luke Conaghty (Taminmin High School), Richard Ofa (Nhulunbuy High School), Israel Mofalesi (Darwin High School), Donovan Carter (Casuarina Senior College), Kritsada Phalaphon (Palmerston Senior College), Dom Antunes (TAFE, CDU), Aaron Halliday (Nudgee, QLD), Eli Berns (Nudgee, QLD), Djuma Dawes (Nudgee, QLD), Blake Salzmann (Nudgee, QLD), Dylan McLaughlin (TAFE, SA), Charles Cunningham (Centralian Senior College).
Western Australia:
Tuhoe Mahaki (Guildford Grammar School), Dylan Ainsworth (North Lake Senior School), Adam Candy (Lake Joondalup Baptist College), Oliver Tinley (Christian Brothers College Fremantle), Alexander Winter (Duncraig Senior High School), Jason Woolfit (Eastern Hills Senior High School), Jordan Hanson (Kolbe Catholic College), Dean Van Schalkwyk (Christian Brothers High School), Robert Ingram (Hale School), Waldo Fourie (Mindarie Senior College), Justin Fourie (Wesley College), Talvor Harris (Thornlie Senior High School), Jean Carl Smith (Lake Joondalup Baptist), Zian Cooke (Mindarie Senior College), Kylan Yoxal (Hale School), John Monk (Cyril Jackson Community College), Alec Wilson (Trinity College), Zeikal McFarland (Aranmore Catholic College), Nicholas Pearson (Guildford Grammar School), Shawn Obree (Belridge Senior High School), Thomas Enright (Hale School), Matthew Vear (Christ Church Grammar School), Moses Duffy (Applecross Senior High School).
South Australia:
Stevan Stenojevic (Gawler High), Zeb Kamen (Henley High), James Cahill (Concordia College), Johnathan Hampton (Marcellin Technical), James Buckland (Urrbrae Agricultural), Tom Paton (Unley High), Chris Steel (Marden Senior), Ethan Uili (Brighton Secondary), Soshi Eto (Waldorf Mt Barker), Mac Heaney (Unley High), Alex Healey (Cardijn College), Isoa Ronavusa (Unley High), Kepo Samuel (Marden Senior), Tom Sellwood (Marcellin Technical), Malcolm Van Wyk (Underdale High), Matt Bautz (St. Peters College), Kris Suttie (St. Peters College), Stewart Nutt (St. Peters College), Zak Wilson (Aberfoyle Park High), Darren Pinkerton (Urrbrae Agricultural), Harry Deck (Concordia College), Joe Moana (Willunga High), James Rickard (Willunga High).
Tasmania:
Luke Bryan (Devonport RUFC), Latif Ucdereli (Scotch Oakburn College), Samuel Graves (Hobart College), Beau Scott (Harlequins RUFC), Callum Bowles (Launceston College), Dylan Oakford (Harlequins RUFC), Sebastian Lopa (Hutchins), Thomas Scarfe (Don College), Jesse Flakemore (Launceston College), James Erwin (Launceston RUFC), Alastair Stevenson (Launceston College), Perry Chancellor (Launceston RUFC), Samuel Goldsmith (Launceston College), Aron Taylor (Launceston RUFC), Rhys Evans (Devonport RUFC), Kyle McLachlan (Devonport RUFC), Christian DeLaPaz (Marcellin College), Matthew Van der Westhuizen (Norwood Secondary College), George Leighton (Melbourne Grammar), Mason Van Dunn (Hampton Park Sec. College), Mark Southwood (Ivanhoe Grammar), Sheldon Ronald (Melbourne Grammar), Samson Bandi (Nobel Park Secondary School).
