ARU Junior Gold Cup - National Junior Championships

[CNorth]

I agree 100% with Thomo77. You can't fault a team or players for training harder than others. It could be argued that QLD and NSW have a massive advantage in terms of the pool of players available plus the advantage of drawn out schedules and home games. Some visiting teams play 5 games over a 7 day period.

I also cant see how you are able to select a squad of 25 players to represent your state (first time selection so there is no track record) and only get them to train once or twice prior to the comp. You may as well pick teams on the day or send your local club/school championship winners and have a barbarians rugby festival.

We must remember that these boys are playing in the own "RWC" and I don't think they are even worried about these issues. They just want to play rugby, have fun and win as many games as possible. All fair and square.

Best of luck to all teams.

No fault of players agree. just shows some centers are better funded than others, which in turn should result in wins. Hardly all Fair, Not the kids fault good luck to them.

 

[Chris McCracken]

I'm pretty sure our area gets together the least in the NSW groups and probably has the broadest geographical area. The boys get together rarely.

Not one player coach or parent I know of would begrudge the teams who train more regularly or are funded better. It may not be "fair" but it is what it is.

The boys want Rugby at a higher level and they are getting it.

 

[Heavens game]

I'm pretty sure our area gets together the least in the NSW groups and probably has the broadest geographical area. The boys get together rarely.

Not one player coach or parent I know of would begrudge the teams who train more regularly or are funded better. It may not be "fair" but it is what it is.

The boys want Rugby at a higher level and they are getting it.

Totally agree Chris what really matters is the boys are playing the game we all love, on a national scale to a degree exposing them systems outside of club level by centres that are trying to give these players an experience. In Brisbane the Logan centre works really hard in a demographically financial struggling area by being proactive in helping all there players experience this program so it's not hindered by financial constraints. The coaching and mentoring they have received from the centre has been fantastic. Not saying they are better but work really hard to make it happen for who it matters most the players. This weekend with the fixtures of Logan vs Gold Coast it's going to be a corker bunch of games against 2 centres that embrace the program for their region as do most if not all teams in this great pathway program. Thank Christ no rain in sight at moment....

 

[Animal]

No fault of players agree. just shows some centers are better funded than others, which in turn should result in wins. Hardly all Fair, Not the kids fault good luck to them.

I am not sure about some of the the larger unions but we aren't flush with funds.

Most teams will be faced with some sort of disadvantage which can be seen as "hardly being fair". Some teams have players who live close to each whilst others are distant, some have a restrictive pool of players to select from or only have small forwards or have a compressed and demanding schedule whilst other teams only play once a week... There is always something.

It is what it is and it makes seeing those underdogs wins so much more enjoyable.

Enough said, looking forward to some great rugby in Brisbane / Logan / Gold Coast

 

[Oldschool]

^^^^^Bring it on WA, Look forward to seeing you guys over here. Going to have to play out their skins to back up the boys from 2014.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

I'm pretty sure our area gets together the least in the NSW groups and probably has the broadest geographical area. The boys get together rarely.

Not one player coach or parent I know of would begrudge the teams who train more regularly or are funded better. It may not be "fair" but it is what it is.

The boys want Rugby at a higher level and they are getting it.

I'd be a little disappointed if the city based squads weren't training 3 nights a week like the ACT and Melbourne squads. Could imagine the likes of the Illawarra/Central Coast and even Hunter could do at least 2 if not 3 as well.

The more regional centres it understandable due to the tyranny of distance.

 

[Oldschool]

I'd be a little disappointed if the city based squads weren't training 3 nights a week like the ACT and Melbourne squads. Could imagine the likes of the Illawarra/Central Coast and even Hunter could do at least 2 if not 3 as well.

The more regional centres it understandable due to the tyranny of distance.

Try one night for 1.5 hrs for the Brisbane boys. They are relying on pure talent to get them through and they do have that in spades.
F all positional skills taught, very basic game plan. Seems to me they are relying on the GPS, AIC school system to train these boys further.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Try one night for 1.5 hrs for the Brisbane boys. They are relying on pure talent to get them through and they do have that in spades.
F all positional skills taught, very basic game plan. Seems to me they are relying on the GPS, AIC school system to train these boys further.

That's just crazy. I thought one of the purposes behind the JGC was to expose them to not only higher levels of competition but training and development. One and a half hours a week is just rubbish.

 

[Animal]

^^^^^Bring it on WA, Look forward to seeing you guys over here. Going to have to play out their skins to back up the boys from 2014.

Also looking forward and most of our boys haven't had the privilege of playing outside of Perth so this the real thing. Will ensure that the boys bring a some spare skin, just in case

Could I ask that scores be posted by those attending the game, if possible. It is great to get scores sooner rather than later and I find that the official results take days to publish.

Thanks

 

[Sunny]

So far so good, weathers holding up here in Qld.
Hope all the teams get on the field this weekend.
Looking forward to some great games of rugby:-D good luck to all the lads..n

 

[RedBlue]

Try one night for 1.5 hrs for the Brisbane boys. They are relying on pure talent to get them through and they do have that in spades.
F all positional skills taught, very basic game plan. Seems to me they are relying on the GPS, AIC school system to train these boys further.

The boys in the Sydney city regions are doing the same only once a week.

 

[Azzuri]

The boys in the Sydney city regions are doing the same only once a week.

Not the case with Sydney NW who train twice a week and have done since the start of their program.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Good segment on the Junior Gold Cup on Foxtel show Rugby HQ last night. Hopefully the segment will make it onto You Tube, or will be available on the Foxtel Web Site for those without subscription TV. [Stop the Press. Found it]

There was strong support from the panellists on the show for the programme, and the need to spend money on developing teenage players at grass roots levels for the future good of the game. That discussion is sadly not on the clip posted on youtube.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

The boys in the Sydney city regions are doing the same only once a week.

Then whats the bloody point? It's supposed to be an elite pathway yet the train less than I did when I was that age. As before the country centres are exempt due to distance but the city centres should be training at least twice a week.

 

[Thomo77]

The boys in the Sydney city regions are doing the same only once a week.

Sydney West have been training 2 nights a week since the squad was picked + Sundays (up until the comp started) + the option of a Saturday S&C session... They've definitely been at it more than once a week and the commitment has been significant.... if anything, the volume of training has been a limiter to keeping some kids who would have otherwise been a walk up start based on talent and the coaches have rewarded players with game time for commitment....... which I think is great.. they are putting culture above results..... which has to be good for the future of the game.

 

[Heavens game]

Bottom line is kids are playing , regardless of how centres allocate their time.
Like most things I'm hoping in 10 years this will be seen as the elite pathway.
Give it time, be glad we are part of the pioneer stage. Luckily some centres such as Logan who have done an exceptional job and I do think it's reflective of the effort the staff have put in becuase it will translate in development of the players and hopefully on the scoreboard. Gold Coast tonight will see some exciting rugby. JGC will mean more and more as the years go on I believe

 

[Shane Smeltz]

Sydney North West Cobras and Sydney North train one night a week plus Sunday.
So two trainings per week.
Thomo77 said Sydney West train 3x week.

So three out of four Sydney teams train 2-3 times a week.
I do not know about Sydney South which is the fourth team.

I can't say whether I think the boys should be training more than that.
The reality of it is that Sydney is a very large city with poor infrastructure as everyone who lives in Sydney knows and getting around it is not that easy.

For example, back in January the North West team who train at Oakhill, in Castle Hill, were asked to do a special beach training on a Friday evening at Curl Curl beach. Curl Curl beach is about one hour's drive from Oakhill - if you get a good run. Otherwise it could even be worse.
So all the 15s and 17s boys had to get their parents to drive them on a Friday afternoon to Curl Curl beach.
Sounds like a great way to spend a couple of hours on a Friday afternoon in January - but what if the parents/s don't finish work until later etc. Or are a bit low on money that week for petrol.
This special training session was 'compulsory' BTW.

Also for the coaches I assume all have other full-times jobs and this is a hobby for them for a few months with a bit of money thrown in.
I think based on that that 2-3 times a week training is fine IMO.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Sydney North West Cobras and Sydney North train one night a week plus Sunday.
So two trainings per week.
Thomo77 said Sydney West train 3x week.

So three out of four Sydney teams train 2-3 times a week.
I do not know about Sydney South which is the fourth team.

I can't say whether I think the boys should be training more than that.
The reality of it is that Sydney is a very large city with poor infrastructure as everyone who lives in Sydney knows and getting around it is not that easy.

For example, back in January the North West team who train at Oakhill, in Castle Hill, were asked to do a special beach training on a Friday evening at Curl Curl beach. Curl Curl beach is about one hour's drive from Oakhill - if you get a good run. Otherwise it could even be worse.
So all the 15s and 17s boys had to get their parents to drive them on a Friday afternoon to Curl Curl beach.
Sounds like a great way to spend a couple of hours on a Friday afternoon in January - but what if the parents/s don't finish work until later etc. Or are a bit low on money that week for petrol.
This special training session was 'compulsory' BTW.

Also for the coaches I assume all have other full-times jobs and this is a hobby for them for a few months with a bit of money thrown in.
I think based on that that 2-3 times a week training is fine IMO.

I agree that it takes a significant slab of time and that everyone involved is largely voluntary but this is supposed to be an elite pathway above and beyond club/state championship level. Each kid has to pay a levy to compete and they should be getting their money's worth.

That means they should be training as a squad at least twice a week (so its good to learn that they are) as well as independent S&C programs. This is something that I have always admired in league. These systems are in place that work exactly along these lines and its exactly what we should be looking to emulate as it often proves the difference with kids looking to make something out of their talents. We have lost too many kids to the league pathways because of the fact that they believe they can play more competitive football. The JGC is a huge step in addressing that, but it has to ensure it can deliver similar levels of development and professionalism in terms of training etc.

 

[QldPom]

Little late but here's a few pix I took at the U17 Gold Coast v Brisbane Orange game.. https://flic.kr/s/aHsk8KF8AZ

 

[RedBlue]

ACT vs North West Sydney and North Harbour vs Victoria. Big games to come.