Last weekend saw the completion of the Sydney Juniors Grand Finals, with 104 teams from Under 10s to Under 17s and opens contesting 52 finals across three days and seven venues.
Joining parents and supporters cheering from the sidelines were HSBC Waratahs players Lachie Turner, Pat McCutcheon, Damien Fitzpatrick, Wycliff Palu, John Ulugia, Grayson Hart, Lopeti Timani and Greg Peterson.
On Friday evening, Southern Districts’ captain John Ulugia was at his club’s home ground Forshaw Rugby Park, presenting the awards to the winners of the Friday competition Under 10s, 11s and 12s.
Wycliff Palu was among those watching the finals of the Sydney-wide Saturday rugby competition held at Merrylands RSL Rugby Park, congratulating the seven winning teams the Under 10s to 14s and the Under 16s.
The remaining Grand Finals, 42 in all, took place on Sunday across five venues. On hand to congratulate all the excited youngsters at the Under 10s event at Manly’s Keirle Park was NSW and Eastwood hooker Damien Fitzpatrick.
On deck for the Under 11s and Under 12s at North Narrabean Reserve were Manly lock Greg Peterson and Eastwood and Wallabies winger Lachie Turner, whilst Sydney University breakaway and HSBC Waratahs club captain Pat McCutcheon was with the Under 13s and 14s event at Boronia Park in Hunters Hill.
Handing out the silverware and shaking the hands of the Under 15s Grand Finals at Sylvania’s AR Hurst Reserve were local Shute Shield heroes, Souths’ duo Grayson Hart and Lopeti Timani.
Congratulations to all 104 teams taking part in the Sydney Juniors Grand Finals last weekend, including those who contested the U16s and open finals at Windsor’s McQuade Oval.
Grand Finals – Friday Competition U10s – U12s
Friday, August 31
|
Grade
|
Round
|
Team
|
For
|
|
Team
|
Against
|
|
Under 10 White
|
GF
|
Wests White
|
31
|
v
|
Coogee Grey
|
7
|
|
Under 11 White
|
GF
|
Coogee Greys
|
12
|
v
|
Rockdale
|
19
|
|
Under 12 White
|
GF
|
Coogee
|
19
|
v
|
Canterbury
|
42
|
Grand Finals – Saturday Competition U10s – U16s
Saturday, September 1
|
Grade
|
Round
|
Team
|
For
|
Team
|
Against
|
|
16A
|
GF
|
Wests Juniors
|
12
|
v
|
Western Raptors Green
|
10
|
|
Under 10 BLUE
|
GF
|
Ryde
|
31
|
v
|
Western Raptors
|
21
|
|
Under 10 GOLD
|
GF
|
South Coogee White
|
17
|
v
|
Balmain Wolves
|
12
|
|
Under 11A
|
GF
|
Oatley
|
34
|
v
|
Epping Blue
|
0
|
|
Under 12A
|
GF
|
Blacktown
|
26
|
v
|
Liverpool Cougars
|
33
|
|
Under 13A
|
GF
|
South Coogee
|
29
|
v
|
Blacktown
|
22
|
|
Under 14A
|
GF
|
Hawkesbury
|
26
|
v
|
Western Raptors
|
19
|
Grand Finals – Sunday Competition U10s – U17s (all grades) and Opens
Sunday September 2
|
Grade
|
Rd
|
Team
|
For
|
|
Team
|
Against
|
|
OPENS A
|
GF
|
Newport Breakers
|
33
|
v
|
Harbord Harlequins
|
10
|
|
Under 10A
|
GF
|
Harbord Harlequins Gold
|
32
|
v
|
Wahroonga Black
|
5
|
|
Under 10B
|
GF
|
Sylvania Blue
|
10
|
v
|
Forest Green
|
7
|
|
Under 10C
|
GF
|
Hunters Hill White
|
0
|
v
|
Narrabeen Black
|
5
|
|
Under 10D
|
GF
|
Manly Roos Red
|
14
|
v
|
Killara West Pymble Blue
|
12
|
|
Under 10E
|
GF
|
Chatswood Highlanders
|
12
|
v
|
Roseville Cyclones
|
12
|
|
Under 10F
|
GF
|
Manly Roos White
|
24
|
v
|
Hornsby
|
14
|
|
Under 10G
|
GF
|
Petersham
|
31
|
v
|
Mosman Sharks
|
24
|
|
Under 10H
|
GF
|
Chatswood Black
|
17
|
v
|
Hunters Hill Blue
|
10
|
|
Under 11A
|
GF
|
Harbord Harlequins Gold
|
31
|
v
|
Seaforth Black
|
0
|
|
Under 11B
|
GF
|
Narrabeen Black
|
38
|
v
|
Norths Pirates Red
|
7
|
|
Under 11C
|
GF
|
Hunters Hill White
|
19
|
v
|
Collaroy
|
12
|
|
Under 11D
|
GF
|
Mosman Sharks
|
10
|
v
|
Lindfield Bucks
|
7
|
|
Under 11E
|
GF
|
Lane Cove Blue
|
5
|
v
|
Newport Sharks
|
10
|
|
Under 11F
|
GF
|
Hornsby
|
29
|
v
|
Pittwater
|
22
|
|
Under 11G
|
GF
|
Chatswood Highlanders
|
0
|
v
|
Mosman Morays
|
26
|
|
Under 12A
|
GF
|
Lindfield Tartans
|
0
|
v
|
Harbord Harlequins Gold
|
17
|
|
Under 12B
|
GF
|
Narrabeen Black
|
14
|
v
|
Burraneer Dolphins
|
5
|
|
Under 12C
|
GF
|
Easts Wallaroos Red
|
25
|
v
|
Hunters Hill White
|
10
|
|
Under 12D
|
GF
|
Lindfield Highlanders
|
38
|
v
|
Hillview
|
19
|
|
Under 12E
|
GF
|
Newport Dolphins
|
14
|
v
|
Hornsby
|
17
|
|
Under 12F
|
GF
|
Killara West Pymble Blue
|
45
|
v
|
Terrey Hills
|
7
|
|
Under 12G
|
GF
|
Drummoyne
|
29
|
v
|
Lindfield Bucks
|
12
|
|
Under 13A
|
GF
|
Hunters Hill Black
|
24
|
v
|
Burraneer Dolphins
|
19
|
|
Under 13B
|
GF
|
Clovelly
|
36
|
v
|
Lane Cove Gold
|
10
|
|
Under 13D1
|
GF
|
Forest Green
|
15
|
v
|
Mosman Dolphins
|
5
|
|
Under 13D2
|
GF
|
Dural
|
22
|
v
|
Manly Roos Red
|
7
|
|
Under 13E
|
GF
|
Chatswood Highlanders
|
5
|
v
|
Lane Cove Blue
|
25
|
|
Under 14A
|
GF
|
Hunters Hill Black
|
13
|
v
|
Chatswood Stags
|
13
|
|
Under 14B
|
GF
|
Narrabeen Black
|
19
|
v
|
Randwick Warriors
|
34
|
|
Under 14C
|
GF
|
Dural Sky
|
17
|
v
|
Seaforth Raiders
|
36
|
|
Under 14D
|
GF
|
Wakehurst
|
22
|
v
|
Lindfield/Norths
|
5
|
|
Under 14E
|
GF
|
Blue Mountains
|
25
|
v
|
Lane Cove Blue
|
12
|
|
Under 15A
|
GF
|
Lindfield Tartans
|
13
|
v
|
Newport Breakers
|
22
|
|
Under 15B
|
GF
|
Hills
|
43
|
v
|
Forest Green
|
0
|
|
Under 15C
|
GF
|
Dural Sky
|
10
|
v
|
Drummoyne
|
16
|
|
Under 15D
|
GF
|
Norwest
|
18
|
v
|
Clovelly
|
17
|
|
Under 16A
|
GF
|
Dural
|
21
|
v
|
Sylvania Bulldogs
|
19
|
|
Under 16B
|
GF
|
Newport Breakers
|
14
|
v
|
Hawkesbury
|
12
|
|
Under 16C
|
GF
|
Lindfield
|
17
|
v
|
Lane Cove
|
12
|
|
Under 17A
|
GF
|
Merrylands
|
19
|
v
|
Hawkesbury
|
21
|
|
Under 17B
|
GF
|
Blue Mountains
|
7
|
v
|
Epping
|
15
|
For more information on the Sydney Junior Rugby Union visit
their website.
The Sydney Juniors competition is one of a number of competitions run for school and junior players within NSW.
This month has also seen over 250 of the state’s top Under 12 school players contest the PSSA NSW State Carnival held in Armidale last month. Run over three days, the youngsters from 13 teams impressed competition organisers, talent scouts and special guests including HSBC Waratahs’ flanker Pat McCutcheon and former Wallabies and Waratah pair Tim Gavin and Tim Wallace. A full list of winners will be available from the NSW Government’s
Department of Education and Training website shortly.
Around 150 school children got the chance to try rugby for the first time recently, thanks to the introduction of rugby in another of the PSSA’s events, the Coastal Cup. Taking its name from the Sydney Coastal Zone schools that participate, this year saw rugby join 14 sports including league and AFL in the seven week competition. The inaugural rugby competition took place at Centennial Park and was contested by 40 teams from 12 schools. It culminated in a two week finals series for Under 9s, 10s and 12s, which finished last Friday. For many of the 400-plus youngsters, the tournament was their first taste of rugby union.
All these events were attended and supported by the HSBC Waratahs, with players on hand to offer encouragement and congratulations to all the young players and parents involved.
Over the past 11 months, the HSBC Waratahs Community Connection program has seen players and coaches make well over 1000 appearances at around 250 community events across the state. The last two weeks have also seen coach Alan Gaffney join the Waverley women’s squad for a coaching Q&A and Tom Carter attend the St Andrews Cathedral School’s presentation night.
Every week since last November, an average of five players each attended five different events ranging from Bathurst to Balmoral, Coogee to Coffs Harbour and Gunnedah, Scone and everywhere in between.
The squad have raced Nippers at North Bondi, run hundreds of skills and signing sessions at junior clubs and schools, including Tamworth Tricolours, St Ignatius Riverview, Scone Grammar School and Prairiewood High School, and supported charity and community events such as the Starlight Children’s Foundation Christmas party, NAIDOC week, Weetbix Sanitarium Triathlon, Triple M’s Family Day, Walk4Life and Harmony Day as well as many, many more.
Aimed at bringing NSW players, supporters and youngsters closer together, the Community Connection program was launched in November 2011 and will continue throughout 2012 and 2013, with a host more school, charity and community events planned for NSW across the season. Photos from all events are posted on the
Waratahs Facebook wall.