ARU eyes off future Far North Wallabies
AUSTRALIAN Rugby Union talent scouts are trying to tap into the Far North’s toughest young athletes.
Former 15-test cap Wallaby winger Paul Carozza visited Cairns this week to cast his eye over 30 of the region’s most promising athletes for the ARU’s talent program.
Carozza is now the ARU’s elite development co-ordinator.
Athletes from the Atherton Tablelands, Innisfail, Port Douglas and Cairns attended the training session in a bid to gain selection for the U16 National Championships held later this year. FNQ Queensland Reds participation officer Dom Power said players from the Far North were renowned for being more physical than those from other parts of the state.
“We saw that in our under 18 team. We didn’t have the biggest kids, but we let in the least amount of points,” he said. “Physically the north Queensland teams are quite tough and defensively they are really strong.”
The ARU will hold an U16 National Championships in September at The Southport School on the Gold Coast.
The tournament, which is considered a “key entry point” into elite player programs, will be an eight team competition that includes two Queensland sides.
“I know they are interested in a couple of a kids, they were pretty impressed with some of the talent up here,” Power said.
“Hopefully we will see some FNQ local young kids in the under 16 state side.”