Talented young players heading for Australia

NICOLE GOURLEY/The Southland Times

IN TOUCH: Jaye Thompson and Ben McKerchar are off to Australia to play for NZ age group touch rugby teams.

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Two of Touch Southland's exciting young talents will represent New Zealand for the first time next week – and they couldn't be more excited.

Ben McKerchar, 17, and Jaye Thompson, 15, are heading across the Tasman as members of their respective national age group teams to take on the best Australia has to offer at a three-day tournament in Queensland.

"I imagine it will be quite an overwhelming experience – I just can't wait to pull on the silver fern and represent my country," McKerchar said.

It was a sentiment echoed by Thompson: "It's been a goal of mine for a long time," he said.

The talented duo have featured in Southland's junior representative ranks from a young age and are eager to embrace the next stage in their sporting careers.

"I just really want to do the fern justice and represent New Zealand and Southland strongly," McKerchar said. "The support I've received is huge – everyone's just been really great."

While McKerchar joined his New Zealand 17s team-mates at a training camp in Hamilton in July, Thompson will link with his 15's team en-route to Australia on Saturday.

The Southland Boy's High School students were anticipating State teams from throughout Australia competing at the tournament, to be staged in Kawana from September 15-17, would prove formidable opponents.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing how the Aussie teams perform," Thompson said.

Thompson's love of the game can be credited to genetics and his selection continues an impressive family tradition with parents Dennis and Tai-Anne and his grandfather Sam all previously performing in the sport's elite ranks.

McKerchar is equally passionate about the code. "I just love the pace of the game, playing with my mates, the competitiveness and the challenge that it brings, and just the general culture of the sport," he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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