Year 9 St John’s College student Thomas Koerstz and 16-year-old Will Flakelar will represent NSW country at the city v country championships in Sydney this Sunday.
Unlucky not to make the side also was Koerstz’s Kangaroos team-mate James Gilmour who just missed out on a spot after representing the Southern Province earlier this month.
Koerstz will represent in the under-15s as halfback while Flakelar will play for the 16s as a centre.
For both boys the chance to represent Country is an honour and both are preparing for their games this weekend and a chance to be selected in the NSW side.
“I’m pretty stoked to have made country,” Koerstz said.
“I have been trying for a while now so to have made it feels pretty good,” he said.
Koerstz said that while he was looking forward to his match this Sunday, he couldn’t help but feel nervous at the same time.
Coach of the Kangaroos under-15 Reds and Central West under-15s, Doug Sandry said both Koerstz and Gilmour worked hard to make it this far.
He said while he believed Gilmour deserved to be in the Country side, he was proud to see Koerstz selected.
“Both James and Thomas have been absolutely outstanding this season,” Sandry said.
“The work they have done with the Southern Province side has taken their rugby to a new level,” he said.
Sandry said Koerstz was by far the best halfback on show at the country championships in May, saying his game was far superior to other players in that position.
Sandry said should Koerstz continue his fine form heading into this Sunday’s clash he should be a good chance of making the NSW team.
“For the last two years I have watched James and Thomas develop as players and I hope some time in the future they get the opportunity to make a career in rugby,” Sandry said.