October 16, 2020
New Zealand Rugby League wishes to congratulate the following players selected in the NZRL Schools and NZRL Clubs teams who are set to face each other in the inaugural NZRL Schools v Clubs match on November 8th at Mt Smart Stadium.
The NZRL Schools v Clubs game will kick-off at 2 pm followed by the NZ Residents v NZ Māori Residents match at 4 pm. It’s a gold coin entry into Mt Smart on the day and thanks to Sky Sport both games will be televised live.
The NZRL Schools v Clubs match is the first of its kind and will act as a key development pathway for New Zealand 18 players.
For 2020, the New Zealand Schools team comprises of identified players from the Auckland Rugby League Secondary Schools competition as well as those registered in full-time study.
The New Zealand Clubs team consists of identified players who have competed in regional tournaments or a meaningful club competition in 2020.
Going forward, this inaugural fixture is set to stick as an annual event in which the New Zealand Schools team will comprise of players actively playing in the NZRL National Secondary school competition, and the New Zealand Clubs team will be selected from District, Zone and National Youth programmes.
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 the National Secondary School Competition and NZRL Youth tournament were cancelled for 2020; however, players identified in the New Zealand Resident 18s wider squad back in February make up the majority of the selections for this year.
NZRL GM of Football and High Performance, Motu Tony says; “This Schools v Clubs match is an important pathway going forward for our young and aspiring Kiwi talent. Although COVID has altered our selection process a bit for this year, it’s exciting to see this fixture come to light despite the pandemic setbacks.
“We have an impressive list of talented 18 players from up and down the country representing both the Schools and Clubs sides. This game presents our 18s with a great opportunity to showcase their skill and position themselves favourably for opportunities that may arise in 2021.”
NZRL congratulates the following players:
