Many incentives for youngsters

Press, 4 June 1982, Page 10

Many incentives for youngsters

Rugby league prides itself on the attention it gives to its young players. The emphasis on junior football at provincial and national levels began with.the introduction of the New Zealand schoolboys tournament in 1946.

Dozens of future senior Kiwis first made their mark in the 15-years division, and regular reciprocal tours have been made with New South Wales over the last two decades. A more recent extension of the development scheme has been the 17-years and 19years national contests, and that was taken a step further last winter when the Junior Kiwis travelled to Australia. Overseas tours at that level had been started by the Australian Schoolboys in Britain and France 10 years ago, and the Junior Kangaroos are still unbeaten after two trips to those countries.

But the Junior Kiwis all but inflicted the first defeat on their Australian counterparts before losing, 25-26, in the first “test” at the Sydney Sports Ground.

The international nature of junior rugby league will expand appreciably over the next few months. The British Colts are to play in Papua New Guinea and Australia this month; the Junior Kiwis (19-years) visit Papua. NewGuinea in August; the schoolboy Kiwis (15-years) have another tour of New South Wales about the same time; and the Junior Kiwis return home for matches against Australia at Auckland and Huntly in September. In addition, the Canterbury 19-years squad — minus its Junior Kiwis — will make its biennial tour to Penrith in

August. Clearly, the incentives available to the most promising and most dedicated youngsters in the code have never been greater.

The Junior Kiwis to tour Papua New Guinea and meet Australia at home are.—

Backs: Kevin Teague (Auckland), aged 16, timber cadet; Luke Gemmell (Auckland), 18, labourer; Dean Orr (Auckland), 17, process worker; Pei Muru (Waikato), 17, student; Wesley Siakumi (Auckland), 18, storeman; Joe Ropati (Auckland), 18, freezing worker; Sam Folau (Auckland), 18. student; Terry Rapana (Hamilton). 18, labourer; John Blazey (Canterbury, vice-captain), 18, clerk; George Sorensen (Auckland), 18, printer. Forwards: ' Ricky Cowan (Auckland), 18, timber machinist; Dennis Smith (Midlands), 18, bushman; Troy Hardy (Auckland), 17, assistant production manager; Barry Harvey (Taranaki), 17, apprentice diesel mechanic; Brent Todd (Canterbury), 17,• apprentice carpenter; David Peach (Canterbury), 18, student; Adrian Shelford (Canterbury), 17, car assembler; Luke Aranga (Manawatu), 18, freezing worker; Nahu Timoko (Auckland), 16, food processor; Terry Jenkins (West Coast, captain), 17, civil engineering cadet.

Jenkins’s career typifies the opportunities available for rugby league’s emerging players. At 17, he will be making his third overseas tour — he was the youngest member of both the 1978 New Zealand 15-years side and the 1981 Junior Kiwis in Australia, as'well as earning schoolboy selection a second time in 1979 and New Zealand 17-years honours in 1980.