Australian Schoolboys & National Championships 2013

[The Rock]

Taane Milne playing for the Roosters against Wigan on the weekend
Waste of an opportunity to take a player on the UK tour who wants to play rugby as against giving a league player a free trip around the UK at the ARU expense

And Tepai taking on Manly on Saturday as well. The ASRU knew that these boys and others are under contract with NRL Clubs going over old ground here. The ASRU didn't have to pick them If they didn't want them but they needed them, its not the kids fault. The ARU is pinching NRL Players as well.

 

[knock on]

agree. pick the best players available. if you're not good enough then tough luck. who'd want to be picked as a second choice consolation selection anyway?

 

[en_force_er]

agree. pick the best players available. if you're not good enough then tough luck. who'd want to be picked as a second choice consolation selection anyway?

Yes, what teenage boy with ambitions to be a professional rugby player would want to be involved in the national program AND get a trip around Europe.

Not a single one I say!

 

[knock on]

Well if he was good enough he'd be picked in the first place. if not he may want to be more realistic with his ambitions!

 

[en_force_er]

Well if he was good enough he'd be picked in the first place. if not he may want to be more realistic with his ambitions!

That's an entirely different point and not necessarily a great one.

It's a fact that most Super Rugby players come through the Schoolboys program but plenty of them only played for the A side.

 

[Lee Grant]

The Australia Schools Rugby Union used to ban players who had declared for rugby league by signing a contract (or their parents had, I suppose).

And if they found about it after they had played one game for Oz Schools, and before the next one, they'd drop the kid from the side

But the President of the ASRU, Br. Bob Wallace, told me a couple of years ago that the practice was counter-productive.

Now they give the boys the best rugby experience that they can, he said, whether they are going to league, or maybe are, or not.

He added that hopefully, because of that positive experience, some may come back to the union code afterwards.
.

 

[en_force_er]

The Australia Schools Rugby Union used to ban players who had declared for rugby league by signing a contract (or their parents had, I suppose).

And if they found about it after they had played one game for Oz Schools, and before the next one, they'd drop the kid from the side

But the President of the ASRU, Br. Bob Wallace, told me a couple of years ago that the practice was counter-productive.

Now they give the boys the best rugby experience that they can, he said, whether they are going to league, or maybe are, or not.

He added that hopefully, because of that positive experience, some may come back to the union code afterwards.
.

Many do. There's much, much more opportunity for a 18-20 yo in league but for a kid (especially if they're eligible for a polynesian nation) there's much more opportunity once they're out of that age bracket, we have semi-pro/pro contracts all over the world that outnumber league 3:1 at least.

 

[Getwithme]

Many do. There's much, much more opportunity for a 18-20 yo in league but for a kid (especially if they're eligible for a polynesian nation) there's much more opportunity once they're out of that age bracket, we have semi-pro/pro contracts all over the world that outnumber league 3:1 at least.

what most people fail to understand is that money is being thrown at these rugby players by league clubs before the ARU can blink. There would be at least a dozen possible schoolboys representatives who won't trial because of their commitment to league. ARU is also using the Junior Gold Cup to lure these types of players back though league is well ahead in training camps for each club. I have a brother who's bestfriend has Bronco's training 1 a month so they keep track of him and he has never played league