Sydney Colts - 2015

[forwards4ever]

The Laffan Cup seems to be a tournament involving UWS Hawkesbury, Uni-Norths from ACT, Macquarie University, UNSW, Newcastle University, Sydney University, and Wollongong University according to twitter.

"Saturday 14 March 2015 HAC will be hosting the Laffan Cup at the Hawkesbury Campus. This is the largest 15 a side Rugby tournament in Australia for University Clubs. It is also a selection tournament for the Australian University Rugby Team."
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153694087243797


Is this University based or University Rugby Club based? F'r'instance, is a player from Northern Suburbs Club but studying at Sydney University eligible to represent Sydney Uni, or what about a young man from St Andrews College at Sydney University who is playing Subbies footy for UNSW Rugby Club, and does a young man studying at UNSW (or UTS, or ACU) but playing club footy with The Corporation have to play for UNSW or are they Sydney University eligible because of the "University Rugby Club" they belong to?

Would the selectors consider a talented young footballer who is a student at a smallish private University such as Notre Dame, or one of the other niche campuses that are around Sydney CBD, that doesn't have a footy club?

I believe, it is university based primarily. Last year there were guys who play for Norths playing for Newcastle Uni.
In regard to your other question, a couple of years ago the Sydney Uni team had a player who was at ACPE playing for them, so I assumed that if you were at a tertiary institution with no team, you could join another (the lad did play colts for Uni though)

 

[Hugh Jarse]

My son goes to UTS and plays Parra Colts. He was certainly eligible to play in the Uni Games. I'm sure it's the same with other institutions.

So your young bloke can go to the Uni Games and play Rugby 7's for UTS (http://www.unisport.com.au/AUG/Pages/Sport.aspx), but if he doesn't show up to Laffan Cup, he won't be seen by the Australian Universities Rugby Team Selectors. Your lad won't be the only one in a similar situation.

Interesting, but not surprising given the logistics of conducting a 15 aside Rugby tournament, that Rugby 7's has been endorsed at the UniGames.

@Forwards4ever, did the Norths Player actually attend Newcastle University?

Sheesh, with on-line learning nowdays, students resident in Darwin can probably be enrolled at Sydney University. If they are a decent footy player.... ... ..?

 

[couldabeen]

My son goes to UTS and plays Parra Colts. He was certainly eligible to play in the Uni Games. I'm sure it's the same with other institutions.

Thanks Brett, I think the question is, if he was attending Sydney Uni, and plays for Parra can he represent Sydney Uni? I don't know the answer.

 

[AussieDominance]

^^^ Not everyone wants to make it to Shute Shield Colts. Plenty of young men just want to run around a park like they did for Spaghetti Cup at School and play rugby as a recreational activity with their mates.

Work, study, and other lifestyle choices prevent many from committing the necessary time to give Shute Shield Colts a go.

Perhaps consideration should be given to making it easier for players to transition from subdistrict level to Shute Shield level (and vice versa) during a season, but many clubs guard their independence fiercely and would not be too keen to lose their better players to Shute Shield Colts for a game or three in the middle of the season.

Understand your point but grade rugby exists for a purpose and that is to provide a pathway to the professional game so the whole point is to have as many of the most talented players playing grade/colts rugby as possible.

 

[Iluvmyfooty]

To be eligible to play in the Laffan Cup you must be enrolled and currently studying at the institution participating. Club rugby registrations are not relevant to the Cup.

This means that if you are studying at Macquarie Uni and you are currently a Parramatta colt or grade player you can participate in the Kaffan Cup for Macquarie Uni because you are currently enrolled and studying at that Uni.

 

[couldabeen]

To be eligible to play in the Laffan Cup you must be enrolled and currently studying at the institution participating. Club rugby registrations are not relevant to the Cup.

This means that if you are studying at Macquarie Uni and you are currently a Parramatta colt or grade player you can participate in the Kaffan Cup for Macquarie Uni because you are currently enrolled and studying at that Uni.

Thanks Iluvmyfooty,
That clears it up.
But, my disappointment for a lot of good young students is that there are so few clubs competing in the Laffan Cup which is the selection trial for Australian Unis. They must be missing a lot of talented kids - or do they have wildcard system?

 

[forwards4ever]

@Forwards4ever, did the Norths Player actually attend Newcastle University?

Yes! was a 2nd year student.

 

[forwards4ever]

Are you sure @HughJarse that this is the selection for Australian Universities team? It's a very laid back competition. Wouldn't the national university team be selected from University Games held in middle of the year?

 

[Hugh Jarse]

^^^ I'm going off what was on the Hawkesbury Ag facebook page.

"Saturday 14 March 2015 HAC will be hosting the Laffan Cup at the Hawkesbury Campus. This is the largest 15 a side Rugby tournament in Australia for University Clubs. It is also a selection tournament for the Australian University Rugby Team."
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153694087243797

The Unigames website says that their competition will be Rugby 7's.

I'd imagine that the students from Queensland (Bond, QUT, UofQ, Griffith Uni etc) would like to have a go in front of the Aust Uni Selectors, not to mention Melbourne Uni (see blog article on them).

Not sure how "serious" the Aust Uni Selectors are or how "prestigious" selection to Australian University Rugby Team is viewed, because there are a stack of very talented players that I know are at a University in NSW but who will not be at Laffan Cup.

 

[AussieDominance]

Well the recently selected Aus Uni 7's team was clearly selected from the 7's competition (coach and management + players didn't even play the 15's) I am not sure who Australian Uni 15's(if there is a team) would play against?

 

[Hugh Jarse]

^^ That was one of my original questions. It all sounds a little Heath Robinson.

Perhaps this is where the former AJRU executives have ended up?

 

[Brett Kenna]

Trial: Twoblues v Southern Districts.
U18's - SD won 4 tries to 3
3rd Colts - Parra won 4 tries to 1
2nd Colts - SD won 1 try to 0
1st Colts - SD won 5 tries to 0 (Blew out in the last 10mins)
Parra had around 25 players unavailable, as I'm sure SD did also.

 

[couldabeen]

The Corp Colts today at Kiama,
Weather and scenery outstanding.
1sts Beat Tuggeranong Vikings convincingly through their backs who are fast and very well coordinated. Well done coaching team.
They never took a penalty kick, just tap and go! Very fast and ball control was excellent. (When they play Randwick it will be like watching Ice Hockey) The whole game plan focuses on this.
The Rock Stars were not present, Laffan Cup duties, so maybe it was the 1sts and bit under Colts.
In the "also contesting for a position" internal trial, Uni beat Uni. A long way to travel for this. Uni managers need to be a bit careful. I heard a fair bit of discontent from the parents and players about traveling that far for a "bullshit" contest.
Also, what I saw in the grade games. Uni 4ths soundly beaten by Kiama. Uni were very average. Kiama fired up. 3rds Uni beaten by Illawarra Rep. then I went home.

 

[couldabeen]

^^ That was one of my original questions. It all sounds a little Heath Robinson.

Perhaps this is where the former AJRU executives have ended up?

Never heard of Heath Robinson before and had to Google him - Brilliant!
Sadly I think Australian University Rugby has gone the way of NSW Country School's Rugby. Defunct at the expense of a lot of other kids who might have played in the good old days before us dinosaurs. Refer decline in SJRU

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Eastwood v Wests.
Colts 3's E'wood
2's Draw
1's Draw
<snip>

 

[the baz]

Norths colts v warringah
2/3's norths won
1's norths won

 

[Hugh Jarse]

From Wicks Facebook:
Randwick v Manly Club Trial 14 March Scores
3rd Colts won 41-7
2nd Colts won 40 -7
1st Colts won 51-19
U18s won 10-7

Given that MMM were narrowly beaten in Colts 2 and 3 GF last year, the Wicks have laid down a fairly ominous marker for this upcoming season.
Good to see that we can confirm MMM will be running a U18 team this season.

 

[Colts '15]

With Rd1 coming up this weekend, i'll have a crack with some tips:

Gordon vs Easts - Gordon to win by 17

Eastwood vs Randwick - Randwick too strong, win by 21

Warringah vs Souths - tough one to judge, my bets are on Souths by 6

Penrith vs Sydney Uni - Uni by 40+

Parramatta vs Manly - home advantage, Parramatta by 10

West Harbour vs Norths - North by 12

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Welcome to Gaggerland @Colts '15. Good to have you aboard.

It is a brave man or a fool that tips in road 1 without access to team lists or a full suite of preseason trial results. At least there is more info on trial results on this thread than on the Shute Shield thread.

The Jarse-o-meter has been fired up, and based on the limited information available, using the SWAG algorithm it is predicting the following:

Gordon vs Eastern Suburbs - By all accounts the Gay Gordons (Highland dance reference not a slur) have recruited well and the Beasts haven't with the GG to win by 15+.

Randwick vs Eastwood - Will canter home by >20 points with a team on maximum Player Points even though 1/2 their first choice team will be on U20's duty or playing Grade footy.

Souths vs Warringah - Rats will be rattled by having to clear Immigration and Passport control at the Spit Bridge, Harbour Bridge and the Tarren Point Bridge. The Hobbits will take full advantage of this and in will keep the chocolates in the Shire with a 20+ point victory.

Sydney University vs Penrith - Team Buildcorp will win by Jamie Packer's bank balance unless they make their Colts 3rds play all 3 games.

Manly vs Parramatta - Until I saw the MMM vs Wicks results, I'd have anticipated that the Marlins had the players to strangle the M2B attack and race away with a comfortable victory. After the weekend's results, I reckon this will be as easy to pick as the weekly Lotto numbers. 18 all draw.

Norths vs West Harbour - The Shoremen may be struggling for numbers in their overall roster, but if they've kept all their Colts eligible players from 2014 (along with a rumoured strategic acquisition or two from the Corporation) they will have are quality squad and will blow the Pirates off the park by 15-21 points.

 

[couldabeen]

Welcome to Gaggerland @Colts '15. Good to have you aboard.

It is a brave man or a fool that tips in road 1 without access to team lists or a full suite of preseason trial results. At least there is more info on trial results on this thread than on the Shute Shield thread.

The Jarse-o-meter has been fired up, and based on the limited information available, using the SWAG algorithm it is predicting the following:

Gordon vs Eastern Suburbs - By all accounts the Gay Gordons (Highland dance reference not a slur) have recruited well and the Beasts haven't with the GG to win by 15+.

Randwick vs Eastwood - Will canter home by >20 points with a team on maximum Player Points even though 1/2 their first choice team will be on U20's duty or playing Grade footy.

Souths vs Warringah - Rats will be rattled by having to clear Immigration and Passport control at the Spit Bridge, Harbour Bridge and the Tarren Point Bridge. The Hobbits will take full advantage of this and in will keep the chocolates in the Shire with a 20+ point victory.

Sydney University vs Penrith - Team Buildcorp will win by Jamie Packer's bank balance unless they make their Colts 3rds play all 3 games.

Manly vs Parramatta - Until I saw the MMM vs Wicks results, I'd have anticipated that the Marlins had the players to strangle the M2B attack and race away with a comfortable victory. After the weekend's results, I reckon this will be as easy to pick as the weekly Lotto numbers. 18 all draw.

Norths vs West Harbour - The Shoremen may be struggling for numbers in their overall roster, but if they've kept all their Colts eligible players from 2014 (along with a rumoured strategic acquisition or two from the Corporation) they will have are quality squad and will blow the Pirates off the park by 15-21 points.

Agree with all but one. I will take Manly over M2B's
Wishing all the Clubs the very best.
Bow the whistle Ref.