Thank you for expressing an interest for player(s) to trial for representative selection to NSJRU XVs team to play NSW State Cup in 2024. The first trial is Sunday, 28 April 2024, followed by a second trial on Sunday, 5 May 2024.

Details for Trial 1 on Sunday, 28 April 2024:

• All trials will be held at Balmoral Oval, 42 Plunkett Road, Balmoral.
• U10 & U11 – 3.30pm to 4.30pm
• U12 & U13 – 4.45pm to 5.45pm
• U14 & U15 – 6.00pm to 7.00pm
• U16 – 3.00pm to 4.00pm
• All players to arrive at least 20 mins prior to start time to sign in and be allocated a jersey & trial team
• Please bring mouthguards, boots, water bottle, headgear if worn and a great attitude
• Any issues with player availability, please email Ben Richards, Vice President  vp@nsjru.com.au
• We encourage our juniors to trial their best

NSW State Cup for U12-U18s is June long weekend 8-10 June 2024

NSW State Gala for U10-11s is 20 & 21 July 2024

Players are required to play a minimum of 4 club games over 4 separate SJRU rounds to be eligible for participation in Representative rugby and must commit to play for their club for the whole season. Failure to do so, representative status will be removed.

Dear Parents and Players,

Welcome to rugby for Season 2024. For those that played over the weekend, we hope the pre-season training at Academy and club helped with your fitness and skills as you ripped into your first competitive game for the year.

The start of club rugby also means that the representative season is just around the corner. *This message is an update from a weeks ago with further important dates for reps over the next month.*

The first thing you should know is that to be eligible to play representative rugby at the NSW State Championships (U12s and above) you need to play at least four games of club rugby prior to the State Championships on the June long weekend (8-10 June 2024). If a player cannot play four games prior to this time, they may secure an exemption if they have a medical certificate explaining their absence from club games.

If your child is keen *to play reps for Northern Suburbs Junior Rugby Union (Norths Juniors) this year, you will need to register their EOI by no later than 5pm on Thursday 18 April 2024 (for U12/13/14 Boys, register EOI by 5pm Saturday 6 April 2024)* by filling out the form at the following link:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1axlghmUw647DYLMP_FX6WapavC0XvMaBUNxUOSiTubc/viewform?ts=65f962c9&edit_requested=true. Please make sure you have registered your child by this time. (18 April is in the school holidays so if you are going away, maybe try and fill the form out before the end of this school term as we can’t accept late EOIs. Apologies for spelling it out however the selectors need time from the closing of the registration of players to then work out teams for trials and if a player isn’t registered, it is very hard to put them into a team for the trials.)

NB: Players must play in their actual age group when it comes to representative rugby. Eg: If you are born in 2010 you must play in the U14s for reps, even if you play U15s for club rugby.

U12s, U13s and U14s Boys – trials commence Sunday, 7 April 2024; register EOI by 5pm Saturday 6 April 2024

This year, *players in the U12s, U13s and U14s Boys will start their trials earlier than the other age groups*. These three age groups will *start their trials on Sunday 7 April @ Taplin Park, Drummoyne. The session will run from 4pm through to 5:30/6pm.* (With many players from around the village clubs new to rep footy and Norths Juniors, we will use this session to introduce all the players to all the selectors and let them all become familiar with each other. Again, with so many new players to clubs and reps, this training session will also help players understand what positions are going to be tightly fought after and where there may be gaps in teams. This may help the younger players new to reps think about different positions they may be keen to play when they come back after the holidays. The session will also help selectors identify talent that may be able to play in a position they might not have yet thought of trialling for. The session on the 7 April will be more about doing skills and drills plus taking on some game play scenarios rather than the traditional trials we will be undertaking in late April and early May. Players in the U12, U13 and U14 boys age groups are to fill out the Trial Nomination EOI form by 5pm on Saturday 6 April 2024 so we can note their attendance at Taplin Park the next day. (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1axlghmUw647DYLMP_FX6WapavC0XvMaBUNxUOSiTubc/viewform?ts=65f962c9&edit_requested=true.) If they want to change their position preferences following the 7 April, they can contact Ben Richards directly – vp@nsjru.com.au.

U10s, U11s, U12s, U13s, U14 Girls, U14 Boys, U15s, U16 Girls, U16 boys, U18s – trials commence Sunday, 28 April 2024; register EOI by 5pm Thursday 18 April 2024

On Sunday 28 April 2024 we will have our first official trial for U10s, U11s, U12s, U13s, U14 Girls, U14 Boys, U15s, U16 Girls, U16 boys, U18s. The trials will take place in the afternoon and the venue and times will be confirmed in a couple of weeks when the draw for the next few Sundays comes out so that we can make sure there are no conflicts with club games and all players can attend.

If you have any questions re the above, please don’t hesitate in contacting Ben Richards (vp@nsjru.com.au) or me (president@nsjru.com.au) directly.

We look forward to another successful representative season in 2024 and thank you and the players for all your support of the Norths Juniors’ program.

Cheers,
Nathan

President

Northern Suburbs Junior Rugby Union

*An important note from NSWJRU and SJRU regarding the rules of rep and club rugby… please keep this in mind  as your children decide to commit to the rep program:*

REP RUGBY TRIALS vs CLUB Commitments (a note from the SJRU Group chat)

We are already getting bombarded by various parents and coaches (despite asking for all communications to go via club/district) with regards to potential clashes between District Rep trials/training and club fixtures.

We already have rules on this stuff…. But at this time of the year the most important rule that could affect a players entire Rep season is the following –

•       No player is to miss a CLUB commitment for Rep Trials or Training.
•       If a player chooses or is forced to miss a club commitment in lieu of a Rep trial or training then they will IMMEDIATELY become ineligible to participate in the State Champs.
•       CLUB takes precedence – end of story.
•       Do NOT schedule Rep stuff on a time/date that clashes with CLUB stuff.

Also remember these rules..
•       SJRU Gala Rounds count for ONE game each weekend.
•       Players are required to PLAY in a minimum of FOUR (4) games over FOUR separate SJRU rounds to be eligible for participation in Representative Rugby. Games played in Colts and Senior Women’s Rugby count for Opens eligibility.
•       The ‘Grandfather rule’ ONLY applies for players in the Opens Age Group (that played in the 2023 U16 or Open State Champs) – this simply means they are exempt from the ‘games played’ criteria in 2024.
•       A Bye, or Washed Out round counts as a game played. A forfeit against your team also counts as a game played BUT not for the team forfeiting.
•       An injured player may get ‘credit’ for a game played only with a DOCTORS Certificate supplied.
•       Players MUST trial and make themselves available for selection for their HOME District first. If you are not selected for your HOME District, then you may enter the player pool to join another District.
•       If you are in a Joint Venture team then your registration determines where your Home District is.
•       If a player does NOT trial for their HOME District, then they shall not participate in any Rep programs for that year.
•       Consequences of the withdrawal of any teams from SJRU Competitions mid-season shall mean that any players selected for higher Rep teams shall be immediately withdrawn from eligibility.
•       Ie – do not create a club team simply to play at State Champs and then withdraw the club team from the competition as you will cost your players potential Zone and Sydney selections
•       Players selected in higher Zone or Sydney teams must continue to play a minimum of 50% of the games after the State Championships to maintain their eligibility status for those teams they have been selected in.

It’s time to get the footy boots out because NSJRU’s 2024 Academy kicks off this Sunday at Taplin Park, Drummoyne.

We are inviting players who want to play reps rugby going forward; played reps rugby with Northern Suburbs Junior Rugby Union over the last few years; or players who simply love their rugby and aspire to improve their skills and fitness and take their game to the next level this season, to register for the Academy.

The Academy is a 6 week program that is open to all players, boys and girls, from age groups U10 through to U16 (2024) from the NSJRU village clubs (Drummoyne, Hunters Hill, Mosman and Norths Pirates). Players must be registered with their Clubs before they can register for the Academy – if a player isn’t registered with a village club then please make sure they are registered before turning up on Sunday afternoon.

The Northern Suburbs Junior Rugby Academy will again be managed by Mike Cross and his team at Try Time Rugby. Mike and his team have extensive coaching experience across all age groups, with Mike having been the head coach of the NSW U19 team that won the State Championships in 2022. The NSJRU Academy will also continue to work closely with the Norths Seniors Club to include coaching and other resources that will enhance the Academy program.

So get on down this Sunday, with the first two sessions at Taplin Park, Drummoyne.  Please ensure players are there at least 20 minutes before their start time so we can register them and make sure they are ready.  Start times below:

• 3pm for the U10s through to U12s; and
• 4:30pm for the U13s and above.

The Academy program will run for 6 weeks and the cost will be $125 per player. A program schedule will be sent to you once your registration has been completed.

Joining the Academy program does not guarantee rep selection for your child, however, we believe the program developed by Try Time for NSJRU will make all attendees stronger and fitter players for the season ahead which in turn will improve the skills of our players at our village clubs and in turn make our representative teams stronger and even more competitive at the NSW State Champs (both the XVs in June and the 7s in late Sept/early Oct).

Places are limited so please register asap using the link below and secure your son/daughter’s place in the NSJRU Academy. https://www.trybooking.com/COJXD

NB – Please ensure that your sons/daughters are registered with their Village Club before registering for the Academy. If they aren’t registered for their Club then they won’t be able to attend the Academy until their registration with their Club is confirmed, for insurance purposes.

The first 250 players registered will have access to the 2024 Academy training tee.

Players should wear boots and bring water bottles and mouthguards (and head gear if they wear it).

If you wish to stay up to date with Academy updates, please join the Academy WhatsApp chat group by clicking on this link on your phone: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GaEbOnUjq9cGII7oH3vtYL

Please contact Ben Richards at vp@nsjru.com.au if you require any further details or have any questions about our Academy program.

Kind regards

Nathan Davis

President

Northern Suburbs Junior Rugby Union

Dear Players, Parents, Supporters, Coaches and the Norths Seniors crew,

Thank you for coming this afternoon to our inaugural End Of Season Presentation for Northern Suburbs Junior Rugby Union… my name is Nathan Davis and I have had the privilege of being the Northern Suburbs Junior Rugby Union President this year.

2023 has been a year of firsts for Norths Juniors – from our 6 week Academy program way back in January/February… to our first ever fully independent selection process across all age groups; our presentation dinner for the U12 through to U16 XVs State Champs teams at Norths Cammeray and our presentation for U10s, U11s and U12 Dev teams at North Sydney Oval prior to 1st Seniors giving it to Sydney Uni on 1 st July… to having 4 teams represent us at the 7s State Champs this past month; the U13, U15 and U17 boys and U15 girls; and great support from the village clubs with a Norths barbarians team of Drummoyne, Hunters Hill and Norths Pirates players and a full Mosman squad coming up for their own state wide village club champs at Forster; through to today; our end of season presentation and sign-off for Season 2023. And of course we had our annual fielding of teams for U10s to U16s XVs State Cup.

None of this would have been possible without the incredible support of all the parents and players who have given up their time to help this program, so thank you, Mums, Dads, carers, supporters and players for supporting our program in 2023.

We have also been very fortunate to have the great support of our sponsors throughout 2023 – Norths Collective, Allsop Bunting Insurance, Ashcorp Building and The Buena – and of course, the engagement and support of Norths Seniors has been great – including Graham O’Donnell, President of Norths Seniors, Seth Stoltenberg, GM of Norths (who is here today) and Zak Beer, 1st Grade coach, along with many other of the seniors’ coaches and players who have given up their time to support our players over the season – including Nick Kellaway (1st Grade Assistant Coach) and Declan Carroll (1st Grade lock and Board member) who are also with us today.

In addition to all these people we have been very fortunate to have Mike Cross, TryTime Rugby, our Coaching Director, help us secure an incrediblegroup of coaches who have worked hard throughout the rep period to make our children better players on the field and better people off the field.

With this in mind, I would now like to ask the coaches to come up here when their age group is called to award the Best & Fairest and Spirit of Rugby awards for their respective teams for Season 2023.

First up, our Rep XVs teams…

U10 Reds – David Stenning
 Best & Fairest Back – Jude Denny
 Best & Fairest Forward – Brax Wilcox
 Spirit of Rugby – Archer Boyle

U10 Blacks – Scott Dalibozek
 Best & Fairest Back – George Johnson
 Best & Fairest Forward – Angus Webb
 Spirit of Rugby – Archie Hearne

U11 Reds – Jack Upton
 Best & Fairest Back – Jack Watt
 Best & Fairest Forward – Lachie Petric
 Spirit of Rugby – Jasper Bae

U11 Blacks – Zac Davidson
 Best & Fairest Back – Matthew Day
 Best & Fairest Forward – Will Dixon

 Spirit of Rugby – Evie Brown

U12 State Champs – Chris Malone
 Best & Fairest Back – Oliver Restall
 Best & Fairest Forward – Zac Muncaster
 Spirit of Rugby – Jale Wara

U12 Dev Squad – Scott Dalibozek
 Best & Fairest Back – Luke Bulfin
 Best & Fairest Forward – Angus Bloomfield
 Spirit of Rugby – Xavier Spencer

U13 State Champs team – Scott Dalibozek
 Best & Fairest Back – Cooper Glanville
 Best & Fairest Forward – Monty Douglass
 Spirit of Rugby – Angus Green

U14 State Champs team – Gus Spence
 Best & Fairest – Tom Symons
 Spirit of Rugby – Harrison Polin

U15 State Champs team – Sam Maley
 Best & Fairest Back – Nicholas Wendt
 Best & Fairest Forward – Luke Niulala
 Spirit of Rugby – Isaac Perkins

U16 State Champs team – Ben Furby & Will Nicholls
 Best & Fairest Back – Charlie Francis
 Best & Fairest Forward – Harry Davies
 Spirit of Rugby – Taj Mailei
 Spirit of Rugby – Archie Harris

U13 7s team – Jack Upton
 Best & Fairest – Henry Perkins
 Spirit of Rugby – Monty Douglass

U15 Girls 7s team – Caitlin Young
 Best & Fairest – Pippa Harrison

 Spirit of Rugby – Charlotte Sparks

U15 Boys 7s team – Sam Maley
 Best & Fairest – Hunter Chan
 Spirit of Rugby – Max Prykiel

U17 7s team – Will Nicholls and Ben Furby
 Best & Fairest – Franklin Mutton
 Spirit of Rugby – Will Grattan

Congratulations to all these players for their efforts during the rep season and to our coaches for guiding them through a tough rep season and of course to all the players for their dedication and commitment to Norths Juniors and representing the red and black.

Of course, one age group in particular had an exceptional State Champs in the XVs over the June LWE up in Dubbo.

Our U14s took out the NSW State Championship in a closely fought game… but for their coach, there was never ever any doubt… from the first time he saw these young men trial (& having coached them last season as well) he knew taking out the GF was a real possibility… and he trained them for exactly that.

Gus Spence, can you please invite your team up here so that we can all congratulate them, and you, and your assistant coaches Ed and Alf, and your manager Kent, on a great achievement.

1 Paddy Phillips
2 Jesse Bray
3 Callan Abbott
4 Samuel Bull
5 Edward Bateman
6 Ethan Hopper
7 Tom Symons
8 Harry Adamo
9 Makoto Chapman

10 Finn Hannon
11 Riley Jackson
12 Eddie Garcia-Wood
13 Archie Hartman
14 Archie Marshall
15 Billy O’Hara
16 Jagger Short
17 Pasquale Barbalace
18 Spencer Zuckerman
19 Harry Donohoe
20 Harrison Polin
21 James Bousie
22 Angus Bookallil

Congratulations boys and your supporters on an incredible effort.

Obviously with success on the field comes higher honours.

With this in mind, I’d like to call on our VP, Ben Richards, to make mention of and congratulate those players that have this season been selected for higher rep honours – honours that become available from the U14s up:

SJRU U14 Boys Sydney Blue – Tom Symons, Harry Adamo, Finn Hannon, Archie Hartman, Makoto Chapman

SJRU U14 Boys Sydney Red – Spencer Zuckerman, Paddy Phillips, Eddie Garcia-Wood

SJRU U15 Boys Sydney Blue – Luke Niulala, Kai Brennan

SJRU U15 Boys Sydney Red – Isaac Perkins, Hugh Gacitua, Henry Gardiner, Josh Harrold, Will Taylor, Nick Wendt

SJRU U15 Boys Sydney Barbarian – Oliver Smith

NSWJRU U16 Boys Presidents XV – Toby Luce, Henry Butler

U14 Girls Sydney Blue team – Charlise Cannon

U16 Girls Sydney Red team – Charlotte Sparks

 

SJRU U14 Boys Sydney Squad – Harry Adamo, Eddie Garcia-Wood, Finn Hannon, Archie Hartman, Paddy Phillips, Tom Symons
SJRU U15 Boys Sydney Squad – Luke Niulala
NSWSRU U16 Schools I team – Taj Mailei, Tom Hartman

NSWSRU U16 Schools II team – Oliver Greig, Charlie Francis

NSWSRU / Australian Schools Rugby U18 teams – Hwi Sharples, Hugo Orpin, Harry Darling, Ben Whatley

U14 NSW WARATAHS GEN BLUE – Eduardo (Eddie) Garcia-Wood, Harry Adamo, Finn Hannon, Archie Hartman

U15 NSW WARATAHS GEN BLUE – Oliver Smith, Isaac Perkins, Joseph Lane, Lawson Armstrong, Hugh Gacitua, Max Prykiel, Will Taylor, Hunter Chan, Henry Gardiner, Kai Brennan, Josh Harrold, Luke Niulala, Nick Wendt

U15 NSW WARATAHS ACADEMY – Luke Niulala, Nick Wendt

U16 NSW WARATAHS ACADEMY –  Taj Mailei, Tom Hartman

In addition to all these great achievements, it is exciting to note that we also have some Norths Juniors that have signed with Norths Seniors in their Colts program for next year: Zac Warden, Ben Whatley; and Alex Tubbs.

Congratulations to all the players for their selections.

Of course, it takes a lot of work in the background to pull something like this together, so to Ben Richards, Elise Mittelheuser, Sallie Watt and our 4 village club presidents – Henry Bateman, Justine Perkins, Andrew Chapman (and now Andrew Bunting – Bunts) and Damien Clayton, plus Bec Ho, Adam Latham, Katrina Courtenay and Darren Mackenzie (and a special shout out to
Katie Knight), thank you for all your help in making this our biggest rep season yet… it has been a long but very successful year and I am excited to see what we can do as Norths Juniors’ rep committee for next year with Mike Cross and his Try Time team of coaches supporting us and the players all the way through.

To the players and parents and carers and supporters, and our sponsors and Norths Seniors, thank you again for your support of Norths Juniors.

We hope you enjoy the rest of your afternoon at the Greens and we look forward to sharing another successful reps season with you all in 2024 – with Academy kicking off in late January – only 3.5 months away!

Cheers

Nathan

NSJRU President