A homegrown talent’s international debut, a schools rugby award, and two teenagers picked up by Rugby Australia’s talent scouts headlined a landmark month for the sport in Tasmania.
Former Hobart Harlequin and state representative Wynonah Conway earned her maiden Queensland cap against Tonga last week, coming on as reserve halfback during the Reds’ 65-0 win in Nuku’alofa.
Conway, 25, previously represented the Melbourne Rebels in Super W and University of Tasmania in the now-defunct Aon University 7s before moving to Brisbane to chase her rugby dream.
“It’s unbelievable, I’m very grateful and can’t believe that this is where I am just year after leaving Tassie,” Conway told Reds media.
“My first ever rugby game was for the first Tasmanian women’s team in ten years. That was about nine years ago when I was 16 so it was pretty much if you want to play you can just come along back then.”
Conway quickly turned heads at Brisbane's Brothers Rugby Club while juggling her Masters in Animal Science, her form warranting a call-up to the Queensland squad for their first ever international game.
“The overarching feeling for me was gratitude,” Conway said of her historic debut in Tonga.
“When I finally got to get out there I just reminded myself that emotions were for after and I needed to do my job in the now.
“When I came off I had a few tears … but I’m very keen and very hungry to keep pushing myself and see what I can do.”
Junior state representatives Cooper Crowther and Tom Alomes also were also in the spotlight this month after being named in Rugby Australia's wider U16s Barbarians training squad.
Both featured heavily in Tassie's Southern States Junior Championship campaign with Tom crossing for a try against eventual champions Victoria and Cooper strong on both sides of the ball all tournament.
Rugby Australia pathways manager Nic Henderson selected both players in a wider training squad of 18 and named Cooper to feature for Rugby Australia’s U16 Barbarians against ACT Brumbies next month.
"Southern States such as Tasmania are an important part of our national pathways," Henderson said.
"We saw some great enthusiasm on display and a real attacking mindset at the Southern States Junior Championships and all players selected to face the Brumbies and named in our wider squad are deserving of recognition."
TRU president Shaun Killian has also been recognised this month with Australian Schools Rugby unveiling him as the 2024 Merv and Iris Allen Award winner for outstanding service to schools and youth rugby.
Australian Schools Rugby president Kevin Culliver said Killian was the first Tasmanian recipient for "over twenty years" and paid tribute to his "extended and outstanding contributions".
"Shaun has been a mainstay of the youth sector and has given his all through his role at school, club, and state levels alongside his work as TRU president," Culliver said.
"He's maintained the course for touring, receiving and hosting inbound teams, and getting teams outbound from Tassie. He's been tireless."
Southern States U16 Barbarians selection to face ACT Brumbies on September 29
Jack Kerr (NT), Owen Healy (SA), Kae Mauheni-Edwards (SA), Harry O'Hare (NT), Matthew Du Plooy (SA), Cooper Crowther (TAS), Manuel Docampo (SA), James Byrne (SA), Oliver Liddicoat (NT), Luan Oberholzer (NT), Couper Liddicoat (NT)
Additional Southern States U16 boys competitors identified by Rugby Australia
Ethan Le Mesurier (NT), Declan Rogerson (NT), Rhys Warren (SA), Tom Alomes (TAS), Markus Iselin (NT), Nathan Goetsch (SA)
