For most 16 to 18 year olds September is the time when you're meant to be knuckling down amongst piles of study books preparing for the daunting end of year exams.
For a bunch of talented Australian schoolboy rugby players however, they instead embarked on a Tri Nations Series campaign against their Kiwi and Fijian counterparts in New Zealand.
The tour party, made up of the 26 best Australian Schoolboy rugby players from across the country, assembled in camp at Sydney’s St Ignatius College, Riverview ahead of their campaign in which they recorded a win and two losses aganst Fiji schools, a New Zealand Barbarians side and New Zealand Schools respectively.
But for anyone thinking the importance of their studies was lost across the ditch, you’d be wrong.
Andrew Elliot has been the Executive Officer of the Australian Schools Rugby Union (ASRU) for the last four years and is one of many within the ASRU who continue to emphasise the program’s intrinsic principle about the importance of balancing on and off field performance.
But first a little history.
Since the very first Australian Schoolboys team in 1969, the Australian Schools program has produced approximately 160 Wallabies including the Ella brothers, Michael Lynagh, Rod Kafer, Joe Roff, Elton Flatley, Phil Waugh, Rocky Elsom, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Pat McCabe, Kurtley Beale and Michael Hooper.
The ASRU first convened as a committee in 1972. As an independent incorporated association, it is run by members of the teaching profession who believe rugby has a unique ethos and benefits that contribute to the broader education of young people.
The combination of rugby and education reflects the values of the Australian Schools program. In the words of ASRU President, Brother Bob Wallace, “Rugby is a sport whose values fit very well with the educational values that we, as teachers, attempt to inculcate as part of our daily work with young people.”
In sharing a similar vision of proactively supporting the on and off-field development of Australian rugby’s next generation of talent, RUPA is a proud partner of the ASRU.
As part of this, each year, RUPA present to all players at the annual Australian Schools Championships, emphasising the need for a balanced approach to maintaining excellence in rugby and education, which is one of RUPA’s core messages in developing the person and the player.
The Australian Schools Championships, which this year celebrated its 40th year, sees several teams from each State and Territory across the country compete at St Ignatius College annually for the coveted title of Australian Schools Rugby Champions.
From there, the Australian Schools touring team is chosen. The team is made up of the best players from across the six day Championship, as chosen by a selection panel made up of Australian Schools Committee members and coaches and a representative from the Australian Rugby Union High Performance Unit.
Andrew Elliot believes the Australian Schools Rugby program provides a clear pathway for rugby players aspiring to make it to the top levels.
“There’s obviously the long list of high-profile Wallabies players who were Schoolboys.
“But if you look at some of the Super Rugby teams, we can point to dozens more representative players that have come through the program.
“Even if they don’t make it to the Australian Schools side, they certainly have and can play at the (Australian Schools) Championships, which is also a great opportunity.”
Mr Elliot says there are two main selection criteria for the Australian Schools touring side.
“The player has to have played in a team at the Australian Schools Championships and has to be an enrolled student in school.
“The boys on tour will always be encouraged to study and prepare for their exams, especially their final year 12 exams.
“They are allocated study time every day on the tour in their down time and are encouraged to do so, particularly because most of us are school teachers.
“Often the boys will use our expertise in our various subject areas as teachers. We can usually get them through a lot of their core subjects.
“We really value the importance of education in the program because of the need to focus on their studies to develop off the field too," Mr Elliot said.
In fact the entire tour is structured to incorporate learning as well as playing.
“It’s about the traditional aspect of touring overseas, living together and learning and experiencing different cultures," Mr Elliot said.
“We include educational opportunities, such as visiting museums, places of historical interest and cultural centres.
“We don’t like to simply parachute boys into a place, play some football and then just pluck them out.
“If we tour the (Pacific) Islands we often do a coaching clinic with local primary schools too.
“The New Zealand Tour includes a Civic Reception, attended by City Mayors and all teams. Experiencing these formal functions involving different communities and cultures is important also.”
Whilst on tour, the boys also have the chance to be recognised for their capabilities with the Bronze Boot Award up for grabs each year. The Bronze Boots are presented to the player (one from the home side and one from the visiting side) who is deemed the most constructive in the Test series.
Since its inception, the Award has been presented to the likes of Phil Waugh, George Smith, David Pocock, Rob Horne and Liam Gill from Australia and Jerry Collins, Liam Messam, Victor Vito, Luke Braid and Sam Cane from New Zealand.
This year at the dinner held at Wellington College following the final Test match between Australia and New Zealand Schools, a Bronze Boot was awarded to Connor Moroney (St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace) from Australia and Patelesio Tomkinson (Otago Boys’ High School) from New Zealand.
The Australian Schools Rugby touring side play New Zealand every year on a home and away basis.
“Last year we started the Tri Nations model with ourselves, New Zealand and Fiji in Sydney and that worked really successfully so New Zealand were keen to replicate it this year," Mr Elliot said.
“During this tour we’ve got games against New Zealand, Fiji and a New Zealand Barbarians side and we’ll be hoping to carry on this similar model again when it’s held here next year.
“It will be Samoa, New Zealand and Australia playing in Brisbane in 2015, that’s the plan at this stage. We’re also looking to see if Japan Schools can be out here in 2016.
“Our big Tours are our UK Tours and the next one is scheduled for the end of 2017. They occur every four years,” Mr Elliot added.
The ongoing list of talent and success stories suggests the quality of the Schoolboys rugby experience.
“They’re playing with quality footballers against quality football teams who are at the top level.
“If you look across all the international teams, you’ll see a lot of these boys first meet each other at this level.
“Phil Waugh’s friendship with Jonny Wilkinson, for example, started off at the Schoolboys level. And if you talk to a number of the other Wallabies they’ll often say that’s where they first forged their friendships with their international rugby counterparts.
“They were often billeted with them, got to know them as they progressed along the rugby pathway and, in doing so, developed life-long friendships across the world,” Mr Elliot said.
The Australian Schoolboys 2014 Tri Nations Series results:
Fiji Schools v Australian Schools - 26 September
Australian Schools 50 (tries: Izaia Perese (2), Joey Fittock (2), Harley Fox, Reece Hewat, Sione Tuipulotu, con: Connor O'Shea (4), Harrison Goddard (2)) defeated Fiji Schools 15 (tries: Simon Lilicama, Onisimo Dakainikuro, conv: Filipe Qoro, pens: Filipe Qoro)
NZ Barbarians v Australian Schools - 30 September
New Zealand Barbarians 39 (tries D’Angelo Leuila, Losi Filipo (2), Caleb Makene, Paripari Parkinson, con: D’Angelo Leuila (4), pens; D’Angelo Leuila (2)) defeated Australian Schools 21 (tries; Julian Fulivai, Harrison Goddard, con: Harrison Goddard, pens: Harrison Goddard (3))
NZ Schools v Australian Schools - 4 October
New Zealand Schools 34 (tries; Sam Nock (2), Jonah Lowe, Sio Tomkinson, con; Jordan Trainor (4), pens; Jordan Trainor (2)) defeated Australian Schools 24 (tries; Izaia Perese, Connor Moroney, Gavin Luka, con; Harrison Goddard (3), pens; Harrison Goddard)
