A stirring 26-12 upset by Queensland Country at the Buildcorp Emerging Reds Cup has highlighted yet again the rich veins of rugby talent across the state.
Boys drawn from Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Nambour, Townsville and Cairns were worthy winners over Brisbane White at Under-16 level.
The victory was a strong way to open the action on Day 2 at Ballymore Stadium in perfect conditions for running rugby.
Fullback Luke Sparke, 16, lived up to his surname with a sharp display which included diving over to finish off one of the tries of the day.
The youngster hails from Matthew Flinders Anglican College on the Sunshine Coast where Queensland Reds co-captain Tate McDermott played his first rugby.
Sparke took a perfect 10m inside pass from Toowoomba Grammar winger Matthew Johnston, who had made the play with an elusive run down the right touchline.
“To knock off a Brisbane team is a great feeling,” Sparke said.
“To take the big step up and be playing against the best players in the state is a really good feeling for all of us in the team.”
The Under-14 Queensland Country Heelers team upset the Brisbane Junior Rugby Union 24-15 on Monday to open the event.
More than 200 players from across the State, many with school holiday haircuts, have converged on Ballymore Stadium this week for the Buildcorp Emerging Reds Cup.
The final day of the carnival will be played on Thursday from 10am.
Undefeated South-East Queensland Barbarians took another big scalp with a 22-7 victory over Brisbane Grey in the other Under-16s match.
Headgeared fullback Isaac Fidock, 15, was a standout. The Somerset College student from the Gold Coast was an elusive figure from the back field.
“We definitely came into this match with heaps of confidence from our Monday win (over Brisbane White),” Fidock said.
“I play rugby league at five-eighth so I really enjoy the space out the back.
“It’s my second year at the ERC. I love the atmosphere or it and the positive community around it.
“Having played before with guys like Dylan (Terblanche), Leo (Fanuatanu) and Kobi (Nouanrasy) really makes a big difference because we are all on the same page.”
In the Under-14s, Brisbane White won a tight contest 17-7 over Queensland Country and South-East Queensland shaded BJRU 17-10.
SEQ lock Will Caro, 14, won the Buildcorp Player of the Match for his strong game in the pack.
“We’re really happy with that win. We feel we have a strong team with good communication and lots of effort from all the boys,” said Caro, a Year Nine student from Gregory Terrace.
BUILDCORP EMERGING REDS CUP
Day One
Under-14s
Brisbane White 41 d SEQ 17
Qld Country 24 d BJRU 15
Under-16s
SEQ 59 d Brisbane White 7
Brisbane Grey 48 d Qld Country 18
Day Two
Under-14s
SEQ 17 d BJRU 10
Brisbane White 17 d Qld Country 7
Under-16s
SEQ 22 d Brisbane Grey 7
Qld Country 26 d Brisbane White 12
LADDERS
UNDER-14s
Brisbane White 9 pts
Qld Country 4
South-East Qld 4
BJRU 1
UNDER-16s
South-East Qld 9 pts
Brisbane Grey 5
Qld Country 4
Brisbane White 0
