New South Wales Under-16's rugby league team explained

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Nickname:Blues
Governing Body:New South Wales Rugby League
Coach:Scott Jones
Captain:Jaron Purcell (2017)
Home Stadium:ANZ Stadium (83,500)
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First Game: New South Wales 30–16 Queensland
(ANZ Stadium, Sydney; 21 May 2008)
Largest Win: New South Wales 30–0 Queensland
(ANZ Stadium, Sydney; 5 June 2013)
Largest Loss: New South Wales 10–30 Queensland
(Etihad Stadium, Melbourne; 3 June 2009)

The New South Wales Under-16's rugby league team, also known as New South Wales Under-16s or New South Wales U16, represents New South Wales in the sport of rugby league at an under-16 age level. Since 2008, the team has played an annual fixture against the Queensland Under-16s team as a curtain-raiser to a State of Origin game. The team features players selected from New South Wales's premier under-16 rugby league competition, the Harold Matthews Cup and Andrew Johns Cup. They New South Wales Rugby League administered them.

History

Prior to 2008, junior interstate matches were contested at under-17 and under-19 levels. In 2008, with the advent of the National Youth Competition, the age levels switched to an under-16 and under-18 format to keep in line with the NSWRL's existing S.G. Ball Cup and Harold Matthews Cup competitions and the QRL's Mal Meninga Cup and Cyril Connell Cup competitions, which would begin in 2009.

New South Wales saw success in the first under-16 Origin fixture in 2008. They recorded their first defeat a year later, losing 30-10 in 2009 at Etihad Stadium. From 2010 to 2013, New South Wales would win four games consecutively before losing both fixtures against Queensland in 2014 and 2015. Since 2015, New South Wales has won every under-16 Origin fixture in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Players

Players selected for the New South Wales under-16 team are usually contracted with a National Rugby League (NRL) side and, until 2017, played in the Harold Matthews Cup. Occasionally players, who are contracted to Queensland-based NRL sides who play in the Cyril Connell Cup, are selected. Each pre-season, the New South Wales Rugby League will select an under-16 squad featuring players in contention for the mid-season fixture.

Results

2008

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2008 State of Origin series.

2009

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2009 State of Origin series.

2010

Played as a curtain raiser to Game III of the 2010 State of Origin series.

2011

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2011 State of Origin series.

2012

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2012 State of Origin series.

2013

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2013 State of Origin series.

2014

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2014 State of Origin series.[1]

2015

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2015 State of Origin series.[2]

2016

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2016 State of Origin series.[3]

2017

Played as a curtain raiser to Game III of the 2017 State of Origin series.[4]

2018

Played as a curtain raiser to the Round 18 Brisbane Broncos-Warriors game.[5]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: NSW U16s heartbreak as boys go down by two. 2014-05-28. New South Wales Rugby League. 2018-09-05. en-AU.
  2. News: NSW Under-16s go down to QLD. 2015-05-26. New South Wales Rugby League. 2018-09-05. en-AU.
  3. News: Match Report: NSW U-16s v Qld U-16s. 2016-06-01. New South Wales Rugby League. 2018-09-05. en-AU.
  4. News: Baby Blues Win A Thriller. 2017-07-12. New South Wales Rugby League. 2018-09-05. en-AU.
  5. News: Big Second Half Secures NSW Under 16s Win. 2018-07-15. New South Wales Rugby League. 2018-09-05. en-AU.