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WESTERN FORCE UNDER 20'S SIDE NAMED FOR SEASON OPENER
By David Berrie on Thu 25th February 16
By Luke Worthington
The Western Force Under 20’s has announced a 23-man squad for this Saturday, 27 February, when they take on the Melbourne Rebels Under 20’s at nib Stadium as a curtain raiser for the Western Force’s Asteron Life Super Rugby season opener.
This weekend marks the opening round of the revamped Under 20’s competition, which will see each of the five Australian Super Rugby franchises fielding a team, with all sides playing each other once before a final is held between the top two sides.
The new competition will provide an opportunity for these Western Force players to be linked with the club, as well as playing an increased number of matches compared to the old Under 20’s system, allowing player standards to be driven up through quality competition in a professional environment.
Pindan Premier Grade club Nedlands have the strongest showing, with Terrell Shortland-Berryman, Tom Sheminant, Sam Offer and Tevin Ferris helping to form half of the squad’s starting forward pack, alongside Tristan Schneider (Joondalup), Blake Phillips (Wanneroo) and both Hendricus Van Der Heyden, and Sosifa Likio from the Rockingham club.
The backline includes Palmyra’s Onehunga Havili, who was the fourth player to receive a scholarship in the Western Force’s ‘Future Force’ academy. Havili will have three Palmyra teammates alongside him in Leighton Short, Michael Fotu and Trey Moloney, while Wests Scarborough’s Angus Taylor will Captain the side and line up at half-back, forming a dynamic halves pair with Associates fly-half Tom Ingrim.
Coming off the bench will be Wests Scarborough’s Ford Hemi, with Joondalup’s Lorenzo Mario and Te Orangi Thompson, UWA’s Shambeckler Vui, Tim Wallace and James Brown alongside Nedlands’ Hershelle Classen and Kauri Cudd.
Western Force Under 20’s Head Coach Dwayne Nestor said the new competition will give the young players invaluable rugby experience for future years.
“Playing in a competition where you travel for games, get national exposure, and play directly under the name Western Force is a huge opportunity for these young guys,” he said.
“We have put out a group that we know will be competitive on the field, but will also take away a lot from the experience, and use what they are given to ultimately help the development of their rugby career.
“We know the Rebels have some strong talent coming through their ranks, and as much as this Saturday’s match will be about getting our feet wet in the new competition, we only have five games to secure a grand final position, so we will be coming out strong.”
2016 National Under 20’s Competition – Western Force 20’s v Melbourne Rebels 20’s
nib Stadium, Perth, Western Australia
Wednesday, 27 February 2016
Kick-off: 4:20pm
Ticket Prices
Tickets to this curtain raiser are free with your Western Force membership, or your Western Force v Melbourne Rebels tickets.
Seating
Seating for this match is only available in the general admission area of the northern grand stand, with entrance to this area available only via gate one.
1 Tristan Schneider Joondalup 2 Terrell Shortland-Berryman Nedlands 3 Tom Sheminant Nedlands 4 Hendricus Van Der Heyden Rockingham 5 Sam Offer Nedlands 6 Tevin Ferris Nedlands 7 Sosifa Likio Rockingham 8 Blake Phillips Wanneroo 9 Angus Taylor West Scarborough 10 Tom Ingrim Associates 11 Onehunga Havili Palmyra 12 Leighton Short Palmyra 13 Michael Fotu Palmyra 14 Trey Moloney Palmyra 15 Clay Uyen UWA 16 Ford Hemi West Scarborough 17 Lorenzo Mario Joondalup 18 Shambeckler Vui UWA 19 Tim Wallace UWA 20 James Brown UWA 21 Hershelle Classen Nedlands 22 Te Orangi Thompson Joondalup 23 Kauri Cudd
- See more at: https://www.westernforce.com.au/arti....EJZpeGft.dpuf
Think that should be SATURDAY 27 Feb, not Wednesday 27 Feb!! 🙄🙄
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
40-0 to the Rebels u20
I blame it on the Nedlands half of the forward pack ...
? The game hasn't been played?
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
Never stopped me blaming Nedlands before ...
OK call me naïve but how do teams in the socio-economic areas (ie Nedlands and Palmyra etc) that supposedly do not have families with members of this age supply players to this age group team.
Oh that's right they don't actually come from those areas.
It would be interesting to know where all these young guys actually live or where they come from and played the junior rugby.
Over to you Fulvio.
Last edited by wholetruth; 26-02-16 at 20:35.
Who says that the suburbs of Melville do not contain young families? That's just nonsense.
Palmyra has a huge catchment area. The club is located right in the heart of the City of Melville, with no other club within 15 Kilometres to the south or east which has a pathway to Premier grade.
We also have extensive grounds to accommodate numerous junior grades.
We put effort in providing a good standard of coaching, and making the game fun for the kids, not an extension of dad (or mum's) unfulfilled sporting dreams.
We provide value for money for the registration fees, training shirts, shorts, socks, caps, water bottles, sunscreen, player's teas, trophies and most of all encouragement, care and supervision.
Our facilities are such that parents can bring their kids to training, wait for them for an hour or so in comfortable air conditioned surroundings to finish training enjoying a drink or a coffee, be joined by their spouses or partners and the rest of the immediate family, and then enjoy a professionally prepared family meal at a very reasonable cost. For working mums it can be and is a relief from the usual daily grind.
Of the young men in the state team, one is the son of a former club president who lives 3 kilometres from the club, two are juniors who have been nurtured from our juniors and lived and went to school locally, and the fourth is a Western Force Academy recruit who was placed with our club by RugbyWA to 'look after" when he arrived in WA without any family as an eighteen year old about two seasons ago. Our club was considered an appropriate cultural fit. He has had numerous offers to join other clubs since, but has been happy to stay with us.
Palmyra has been one of the two or three most successful junior clubs over all grades, especially Colts, for the last six or seven years. It has been THE champion Junior club for many of those years. This has been an attraction of itself.
I do not know of any junior or "colts" age players currently with the club who have been poached or induced to come to us.
As unbelievable as it may seem, people do notice what's on offer and make their own choices.
No, I'm not blowing my club's trumpet.
I'm answering a loaded and rather impertinent question.
Good answer Fulvio. Nothing better than a few hard facts to undo a sweeping generalisation.
What do you think of the U20's concept? I know a certain club President from the mid northern Sydney suburbs who thinks it is a further waste of ARU funds which just weakens their Premier Grade at the beginning of the season.
Last edited by shasta; 27-02-16 at 07:47.
Who says that the catchment area for ARKS do not contain sugar daddy's to prop up there fledgling juniors
ARKs catchment area based in the south eastern corridor with no other club within 20 kms and a pathway to prem rugby in the western suburbs or prison
We provide what we can with what's left of our registration fees after Rugby WA take taxes and use the rest to fund those who can't afford to pay
Our facilities are sufficient parents can enjoy a can of export or a cup of international roast in the club house at an affordable price
They can have a winney blue or get the bag of kronic out on part A week of the welfare system generally we bbq those training nights
The glass bbq comes out regularly but those substances can't be taxed by the club or be considered for sponsors
Of the young men at the club there is some great talent on and off the field some great parents who try there best and don't whinge
Are happy to see there kids play what ever grade and don't complain when they play Orem grade for another club a real rugby club with real people
We were also approached by rugby wa to look after and mentor various juniors as well due to our morals and mixed cultural beliefs but feel they would not fit in if you can't skull a yard glass in under 20 sec while rolling your own
I'm not blowing the clubs trumpet here because we're better at blowing something else but your advertisement for palmyra brought a tear to my eye until the sound of the chocolate wheel spun at the corfield tavern woke me up as I waited to win the meat raffle and I looked around at my fellow rugby mates in there high viz and thought this is areal rugby club with real people
By the way I missed out on the meat raffle and just been tipped off there is a booze bus on corfield rd can't beat that rugby culture
Yes, sevenmile, we all have to make do with what we've got.
Yes fulvio
Live within your means and budget accordingly
Rugby should be interesting this season with budget restraints across the board
Reminds me of 92-99 season where the prem sides were the same players for about 8 years as there was no money or job opportunities and players played for the love of there game and club
This new generation will be hard pressed to put up with the hard times on and off the field
I think it will be a time of clubs with good committees and strong volunteer base than those with a good group of benefactors that dig deep
The problem being a good committee and volunteer base will be harder to find than cash
A little pissed off the way this thread is going. Too petty. Want to wish the Under 20 well. Recent years went well at carnival and got good representation in SS team.