NT’s brightest rugby talents are in the national spotlight next week with 14 Territorians shining across a week of representative action.
Six Territory boys have been selected to play in an U16 Barbarians side to face the Queensland Reds u16 Academy on Sunday 1 October.
Casuarina quartert Tjaart (TJ) Van Der Walt, Ilikava (Junior) Turagavukica, James Watt and Jias Mick will fly the Cougars flag at Ballymore Stadium with University’s Tomasi Eaton and Mackillop Saint Zion Lafaele-Selio also named.
Mackillop duo Paige McCourt and Natalia Grant have also been selected to take part in the inaugural Super W Youth Camp, hosted by Bond University on the Gold Coast from Saturday 23 September to Thursday 28 September.
Both players enter the camp off strong NT seasons with the potential to earn themselves a Super W contract for 2024 and beyond.
Meanwhile, six senior Territory products have been given the opportunity to play alongside some of Queensland’s best amateur players with QLD Suburban Rugby taking on four women and two men in their representative squads.
Palmerston Crocs star Hayden Schatz and strike weapon Nemani Macauvu will bolster the QLD Suburban men’s backline stocks with Nicki Hickman (Souths Darwin), Tamara Soleil Madzika (Darwin Dragons) and Uni Pirates duo Mary-Ellen Pascoe & Holly Lovatt joining the women’s squad.
NT Rugby Pathways manager and U16 Barbarians coach Paul Healy said it was an exciting week for Territory rugby.
“It’s great we have some representation on the national stage – it creates a wonderful opportunity for these developing NT senior rugby players up here and in preparation for the upcoming season.”
