Over the weekend a keen group of young rugby players from towns across the Western Plains travelled to Sydney to take part in the 2023 The Rugby Club Foundation Under 11 NSW Junior Rugby Union (JRU) State Gala, coming away the ultimate prize - the GR Paton Spirit of Rugby Shield.

The children are all part of the NSWL JRU Western Plains Academy, an initiative that aims to develop rugby skills and provide quality rugby experiences for children across the Zone. 

The Academy first launched in 2022, with around 30 children being selected to take part in the first rugby development opportunity of its kind. Those players participated in the NSWCU Country Champs, as well as the State Rugby 7s Champs, giving them a taste of what it was like to play rugby at a representative level. 

Fast forward to 2023, 18 more players, who were selected during trials held back in March, joined the existing Academy members. A mixture of boys and girls, the Academy athletes are aged from 10 years old to 13 years old and come from western region towns including Narromine, Trangie, Warren, Nyngan, Coonamble, Bourke, and Brewarrina.

“The Under 11s gala was an eye-opening experience for our young players,” said Gus McDonald, Country Coach Development and Education Manager for the Western Zone. 

“The Eric Tweedale Stadium is a magnificent facility,” he said. “There were six fields of footy all going at the same time, creating an amazing atmosphere for the kids. They played some of their games on the main oval which has seating for around 5000 people, that was an awesome experience for them. There were even a few Wallabies in the crowd, something that only added to the excitement!” 

The essence of the tournament was about having fun and enjoying the game, all whilst providing an entry level experience to rep rugby. “It’s an iconic event in the junior rugby calendar and was well worth the trip down to Sydney”. 

Over the course of the weekend, the U11s played five games of twelve a side rugby. Coached by Tim Harrison and Mark Pitts, the children played with passion and enthusiasm. “Most of our players only have experience with Rugby 7s and are used to playing cross field,” said Gus. “They certainly kept the ball alive, and it was amazing to see them get a decisive 56 to nil win against Central Coast, straight off the bat.” 

In the final tally, the team had two wins, one draw and two losses.

A special part of the event is the ‘Spirit of Rugby’ awards that are given out at the carnival.  

“The awards are judged on the behaviour and attitude of the team, and their supporters, over weekend, rather than any results on the field,” explained Luke Mack, the Waratah’s Development and Programs Manager for Western NSW.

“The G.R Paton Shield is awarded to the Under 11s squad who best demonstrate the values that underpin our game, values that we call, the Spirit of Rugby. The award is voted on by all teams in the Under 11s event and I was thrilled that along with Penrith, our Western Plains squad was voted by all 58 teams as the group who best demonstrated the Spirit of Rugby! 

"This is a fantastic achievement and an absolute credit to everyone involved!  It was the icing on the cake of a fantastic weekend. We couldn’t be prouder of them!”

U11s players had the opportunity to meet members of the Wallabies

When the Western Plains App asked Gus what he thought the main driver behind the Academy was, his answer was simply 'opportunity'. 

“There are some super talented kids in the Academy,” he said. “They come from towns where there are significant challenges in respect to being able to participate in junior rugby pathways. 

"We’re aiming to change that. We want to make sure all children have the chance to be linked to pathways, irrespective of obstacles like distance. The idea is to reinvigorate rugby in our small towns.” 

He added that there are plans afoot for NSW JRU to go into selected secondary schools across the district and offer vocational training to students. “We hope to provide opportunities and employment skills to students and also develop up-and-coming coaches and officials,” he finished.

Luke says that the Academy wants to eventually field teams in older age groups going forward. “Once you are a member, you stay a member,” he explained. “What this means is that even if you go away to school, if your schedule permits, you are more than welcome to trial for our development squads. This could make the difference with numbers for those students who stay at home and attend secondary schools across the Western Plains.”

There are two more events coming up for Academy members to take part in. “The Academy will be taking a side to the CRU U12 & U13 Country Champs in early September and three sides to the NSWRU State 7s Champs (U11 & U13),” explained Luke. “All Academy members, including those who are currently away at school, are invited to trial for our squads.

 “We are looking for more girls to play in our U13 Rugby 7s girl’s side at the state champs during the school holidays. If there are any girls out there who interested in trialing for this team, even if they are not currently Academy members, we encourage them to get in touch.” 

The rugby 7s trials will take place on August 13 at Warren.