Jonty Fowler selected in the under-18s Australian squad

Narrabri boy Jonty Fowler has earned his second Australian call-up in as many years and will go into camp in the nation’s capital later this month.

Rugby Australia named their under-18s development squad on Sunday afternoon, and the former junior Blue Boar was among the group of 40 players. They will assemble for a camp in Canberra later in September where they will take part in trials against an Aussie Schools squad.

A 26-man Australian under-18s squad will then be named and will travel to New Zealand in October, where they will face the New Zealand Schools and New Zealand Barbarians sides.

Jonty’s selection comes after the 17-year-old fly-half, who is the son of Narrabri’s Chris and Amanda Fowler, captained the NSW Schoolboys side at the 2024 Australian Schools Rugby Championships at the Sunshine Coast in July.

They placed third at that event, and he went one better in the AAGPS NSW Rugby first grade comp with St Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill, as they finished the first grade campaign ranked second.

Jonty played in all 10 matches for the first XV after successfully overcoming his shoulder surgery that derailed his first Australian selection late last year.

He was named in the under-16 Australian squad following a successful Super Rugby under-16s season with NSW Waratahs last year but could not play in the game against the Pacific All Stars at the AIS Rugby Field in Canberra due to his surgery.

This time around, the Year 12 student is fit, firing and ready to put his best foot forward when the squad goes into camp.

There is some star talent in the group, which includes the NSW Waratahs’ Zach Fittler, who is the son of rugby league great Brad Fittler.