Even though there was no National Under 16 Championships last year, the annual festival of selectorial wheeling and dealing still seemed to take place as NSW Schools and Sydney JRU and NSW Country JRU indulged in their annual competition to see who can select the best team to represent them from the same pool of boys.
NSW JRU will still be running their Junior State Championships over the June Long Weekend. The NSW JRU and its affiliates seem to be on a "steady as she goes" path following the cancellation of the National Under 16's and the introduction of the Junior Gold Cup Programme and Tournament. Sydney JRU will play Country JRU at some future date, after there will be tears and tantrums over the selection of Zone teams for Sydney JRU Regional tournament, the announcement of the SJRU Teams in U14 - U17's, and the NSW JRU rep teams that will take on the ACT JRU age group teams, and anyone else that can be arranged.
NSW Schools RU also seem to be also on a "steady as she goes" path judging on what is appearing on the various School association websites. The dates and format appears to be identical as it was last year (with an adjustment to realign the Days of the Week to the relevant 2015 date).
As far as I can gather the following dates are important for the Under 16 Championships and trials:
31 May: 4 way trial (CHS U16 A vs CCC U16 v CHS U16 B v AICES U16) at Forshaw Park, Sylvania Waters
June 14 @ Pittwater Rugby Park No 2
ISA U16 v CCC U16 v CHS U16 (3 way trial)??
AICES U16 v CHS U16 v CCC U16 (3 way trial)
NSWSRU U16 CHAMPIONSHIPS
June 21/22 @ Knox Grammar Saturday/Sunday
Participants:
AAGPS A will masquarade as Presidents XV A
AAGPS B will masquarade as Presidents XV B
CAS, ISA, AICES, CHS I, CHS II and CCC will round out the numbers to make 2 pools of 4.
Possible Pool Groupings (alphabetic order):
Pool A
AAGPS A, AICES, CCC, and CHS II
Pool B
AAGPS B, CAS, ISA, and CHS I
2 Pool games on Saturday
Sunday games:
Final Pool game &:
Winner Pool A v Winner Pool B
Runner Up Pool A v Runner Up Pool B
etc
Team Selections
AICES trials were held last week at TG Milner and have published their U16 team.
CAS will be having a North of the Harbour vs South of the Harbour Trial before announcing their team.
ISA had their trials in early May. Unknown when the team will be announced.
AAGPS will do what they damn well want to do, but typically there will be a trial on a Sunday about a fortnight before the tournament, with the two teams announced on that Sunday night.
CHS
CCC trials were held this week at TG Milner, with their U16 team to be published very soon.
Key Dates for NSW U16 Schools Championships & Trials appear to be:
16 March CHS U16 trials at Newcastle Number 5 Sports Ground, Newcastle
23 March CHS U16 trials at Granville Rugby Park, Merrylands
30 March CHS U16 trials at Endeavour Sports High School, Caringbah
6 May ISA U16 Trials - St Pius X grounds at Oxford Falls
15 May AICES U16 Trials at TG Milner Oval, Marsfield
18 and 19 May CCC Selection Trials at TG Milner Oval, Marsfield
31 May U16 Trials at Forshaw Park, Sylvania [2014 draw was AICES U16 v CHS U16 A, CCC U16 v CHS U16 B]
31 May ISA Training Camp at BMGS
4 June CAS U16 Trials at Cranbrook: CAS U16 North vs South
14 June U16 trials at Pittwater Park No 2 [2014 Draw AICES U16 v CCC U16, CNTY U16 v AICES U16, CCC U16 v Cnty U16, ISA U16 v CHS U16 - No NSW Cntry Schools in 2015]
14 June AAGPS U16 (Presidents) trials at Newington
20/21 June NSW SRU U16 Champs at Knox
October Long Weekend - Possible NSW JRU U16 Invitational tournament at TG Milner Oval, Marsfield
