Forwards Kingsley Uys and Will Ross, two of the most exciting teenage talents in Australian rugby, have been signed to continue their rise at the Queensland Reds.
Both 17-year-olds have inked three-year development deals until the end of 2027 in collaboration with Rugby Australia through the National Youth Retention Strategy.
It is a strong statement on retaining the country’s best prospects because prop Uys and lock Ross were key figures in the Australian Under-18s upsetting New Zealand Schools 38-31 in Hamilton last October.
Both Uys (The Southport School) and Ross (Padua College) have a clear rugby pathway and stability at 17 in their final year at Queensland high schools.
Uys (pronounced Ace), already a muscular 120kg, was an eye-catching performer against the Kiwis by setting up a try, scoring his own and strong scrum work.
“I’m excited. The facility I train in at Ballymore is amazing, I’m always learning from the coaching staff and I want to do something with this club at the Reds,” Uys said.
“There’s always so much to learn as a prop so it’s really good experience to have the chance to scrum with top Reds props like Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Massimo De Lutiis and Sef Fa’agase.
“I think it is really positive that young players are being locked to rugby. You can see where Rugby Australia is going.”
The 1.99m Ross was last year part of Padua College’s first premiership since 2016 and the influential lock is chasing a double in Brisbane’s AIC competition in 2025.
“I’m grateful for this opportunity at the Reds. I’m already benefitting from the coaching because there are so many technical aspects to playing in the forwards,” Ross said.
“I’ve had chances to train with the main Reds squad at times and being able to test your skills when the game is played so fast is helpful.
“Beating the Kiwis on their turf last year was fantastic and part of it was the fact the team had been building connections since the U16s together.”
Former Wallaby Paul Carozza, the Queensland Reds Head of Talent Management, said the signing of Uys and Ross was a real positive for Australian rugby.
"It's a credit to the pathways at the Reds and Rugby Australia that Kinglsey and Will have been involved since U15s," Carozza said.
“We don’t just stumble across these players last week and sign them.
“You build relationships with them and see their character, work ethic and ability from close range.
“We certainly see Kingsley and Will as very good long-term prospects in rugby. They were elite at their age-group last year and played, a year young, in that outstanding Australian U18s win.”
The Uys and Ross signings continue the positive trend of retaining rugby’s best young prospects from that Australian U18s crop.
Back Zach Fittler signed a development deal with the NSW Waratahs last September while blond-haired centre Frankie Goldsbrough has already made his Reds debut.
Australian U18s graduates like winger Nick Conway, Edwin Langi, John Grenfell, Tom Robinson, Josh Takai and Ewald Kruger are also advancing their rugby careers in Academy programs around the country.
