Rugby Australia has confirmed expanded National U16 and U19 Championships for 2022.
It will kick off on October 9 in a five-week regular season, with the Australian Super Rugby Pacific clubs set to face off against each other, reverting from the NRC format.
The games will be played as part of doubleheaders, with the Brumbies set to kick off the tournament against the Force before the Reds and Waratahs resume their hostilities.
From here, the two top sides will face off in the final on November 13, with the host venue to be confirmed.
High-Performance National Programs Coach Nathan Grey will then select a preliminary 2023 Junior Wallabies squad from the U19s championship and an U16s select team.
Grey believes the return of the championships, which have not been held since 2019, will allow the next generation of stars to make their mark.
“With COVID-19 restricting a lot of the development opportunities for young players, this five-week period will be the perfect chance to identify talent, and see how they handle the travel and preparatory demands of high-performance sport,” Grey said in a statement.
“These are our future Super Rugby Pacific players and possibly Wallabies – it is a really exciting opportunity for Rugby Australia to highlight the pathways for these kids and keep them engaged in their Rugby journey.”
It is expected a host of currently contracted players will be named for their respective clubs, including Waratahs duo Jack Bowen and Teddy Wilson along with Rebels playmaker Mason Gordon.
The tournament also gives the chance for second-generation stars such as Ben Kafer and Tom Howard, sons of former Wallabies Rod Kafer and Pat Howard, to showcase their talent.
Every match of the National U16 and U19 Rugby Championships will be broadcast on Stan Sport.
Competition Schedule
Round 1
9th October – Brumbies V Force, Viking Park – U16 11:00am, U19 12:30pm
9th October – Reds V Waratahs, Sunnybank RC – U16 1:00pm, U19 2:30pm
Rebels V BYE
Round 2
12th October – Rebels V Force, Powerhouse Junior Rugby Club – U16 12:00pm, U19 1:30pm
16th October – Waratahs V Brumbies, Waratahs HQ, Daceyville – U16 12:30pm, U19 2:00pm
Reds V BYE
Round 3
23rd October – Waratahs V Rebels, Waratahs HQ, Daceyville – U16 1:00pm, U19 2:15pm
23rd October – Brumbies V Reds, Viking Park – U16 2:30pm, U19 4:00pm
Force V BYE
Round 4
30th October – Force V Reds, Southern Lions RC – U16 10:30am, U19 12:00pm
30th October – Rebels V Brumbies, Powerhouse Junior Rugby Club – U16 12:00pm, U19 1:30pm
Waratahs V BYE
Round 5
6th November – Force V Waratahs, Wanneroo RC – U16 9:30am, U19 11:00am
6th November – Reds V Rebels, Sunnybank RC – U16 11:45am, U19 1:15pm
Brumbies V BYE
Grand Final
13th November – 1st Place V 2nd Place, Venue TBC – U16 TBC, U19 TBC
