Wallabies Tom Lynagh, Izaia Perese, Zane Nonggorr, Matt Faessler and Josh Flook have been included in a Queensland Reds squad that combines experience and emerging talent for the Super Rugby AUS competition.
The five Wallabies in the 32-strong squad for the series will link with a strong group of Super Rugby regulars, rising players from the Buildcorp Reds Academy and well-performed club players.
The three-round Swyftx Super Rugby AUS competition kicks off with a prime Saturday afternoon clash at Ballymore Stadium on September 12 (1:30pm) when the Reds face the Western Force.
Round Two is the eagerly-anticipated feature clash of the Santos Festival of Rugby in Roma where the Reds will meet the NSW Waratahs on Saturday, September 19.
A final round match against the ACT Brumbies in Canberra on Sunday, September 27 will settle which of the four Australian clubs make the final on October 3.
The competition is an ideal lift-off for new Reds Head Coach Vern Cotter and his assistants, Zane Hilton, Peter Hewat and Craig McGrath.
Their Super Rugby AUS playing squad includes a core of 14 players with Super Rugby experience.
Flyhalf Lynagh has been preparing for his return in contact training and skills work at Ballymore.
Off-season signing Perese has been in a conditioning block to prepare for the rigours of Australian rugby again after finishing a two-season stint in the centres with English club Leicester.
The Reds have cast the net wide over the Sumo Energy Hospital Cup to capture in-form players from the state’s premier club competition.
In all, eight players have been picked from the Brothers club. They include rawboned backrower Teina Graham, named last week as Premier Rugby’s Under-20s Player of the Year, Australia Under-20s lock Will Ross and centre Josh Takai, who scored two tries in his club’s reserve grade premiership win on Sunday.
Halfback Mosiah Christian and winger-fullback Alex Flanagan Smith have been recognised from Norths’ outstanding run to the finals for the first time in 34 years. Fullback-winger Will McCulloch is a regular member of the Reds squad.
Compact inside centre Jake Pappin (Easts), flanker-lock Jake Kurbatoff (Souths), lock Dom Thygesen (Wests) and centre Heath Lindenmayer (Souths) are other impressive club performers to earn selection.
Industrious Reds Academy lock Kenny Harris, a member of Bond University’s champion Colts 1 team, and Australia Under-20s teammate and hooker John Grenfell (University of Queensland) are also included.
Flynn McDermott, young brother of Wallabies halfback Tate, has won selection alongside fellow University of Queensland halfback Cooper Stewart.
Lynagh and Ben Volavola are the experienced flyhalves in the squad following the unfortunate knee injury recently sustained by Australia U20s flyhalf Finn Mackay. Volavola will link with the Fijian Drua after Super Rugby AUS.
Lachlan Anderson | University of Queensland
George Blake | Bond University
Nick Bloomfield | Easts
Joe Brial | University of Queensland
Charlie Brosnan | Brothers
John Bryant | Souths
Mosiah Christian | Norths
Matthew Faessler | Brothers
Alex Flanagan Smith | Norths
Josh Flook | Brothers
Teina Graham | Brothers
John Grenfell | University of Queensland
Kenny Harris | Bond University
Zac Hough | University of Queensland
Trevor King | Souths
Jake Kurbatoff | Souths
Vaiuta Latu | Brothers
Heath Lindenmayer | Souths
Tom Lynagh | University of Queensland
Will McCulloch | Norths
Flynn McDermott | University of Queensland
Zane Nonggorr | Bond University
Jake Pappin | Easts
Izaia Perese | TBC
Tom Robinson | University of Queensland
Will Ross | Brothers
Tim Ryan | Brothers
Cooper Stewart | University of Queensland
Josh Takai | Brothers
Dom Thygesen | Wests
Harrison Usher | Bond University
Ben Volavola | Sunnybank
Nicholas Conway
Frankie Goldsbrough
James Martens
Finn Mackay
Hamish Muller
Dre Pakeho
Treyvon Pritchard
Xavier Rubens
Kingsley Uys
