Strength in numbers: 29 junior Blue Boars players selected into Central North rep teams

The strength of junior rugby union in Narrabri and the wider shire area has been highlighted by the selection of 29 players into Central North Rugby Union representative teams for the 2021 season.

Trials were held earlier this year up until as recently as last Saturday.

An abundance of players attended those trials, hungry to be a part of the Central North setup following a disrupted and disjointed 2021 season.

Junior Blue Boars players who earned selection are as follows:

Under-12s boys: Baxter Dalton, Charlie Haire, Ted Haire, Toby Hayes, Gabe O’Connor and Sid Wilson.
Under-13s boys: Charlie Byrne, Nick Coffey, Deuk Davies, Tim Ethridge, Jacob Hunt, Christian Roth and Patrick Welsh.
Under-14s girls: Cady Davies and Zoe Watkins.
Under-14 boys: Jack Anderson.
Under-15s boys Luke Shields.
Under-16s girls: Tashanny Clark, Holly Ford, Miranda Hamilton.
Under-16s boys: Bernard O’Connor, Sid Harvey, Zac Mallows, Josh Briggs, Don Watkins.
Under-18s girls: Bella Cruickshank, Zara Foley, Martha Harvey, Shona McFarland.

Preparation for the 2021 season will begin this weekend for the Central North sides.

The under-16s and 18s boys have a training camp in Scone this Saturday, then all sides will play inter-zone trial games in Scone on Sunday.

The girls’ sides have a development camp scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, March 27 and 28 at Lake Keepit, which will also be the venue for an under-12s and 13s boys’ development camp on Friday and Saturday, April 16 and 17.

More inter-zone trial games will be played on Sunday, April 18 in Walcha.

The NSW Country Junior Championships will then be held in May – 1 and 2 for the under-14s, 16s and 18s girls’ teams, 8 and 9 for the under-15s, 16s and 18s boys’ teams and 15 and 16 for the under-12s, 13s and 14s teams.

NSW Junior State Championships will then be held across the June Long Weekend for all of those age groups at various locations across the state.