Page 118 - NHS Beyond the Classroom
P. 118
Rugby League Aspirants 2008
nursery - offering a programme to train the
students in areas such as skill development, weight
training, diet and nutrition, public speaking, sport
psychology and gender/relationship studies, with
the players playing games for the school on
weekends.
Even though the Tigers are based in Sidney
their youth identification programme sees them
affiliated to Keebra Park. There are other clubs
with eyes on the youngsters and the NRL’s Toyota
Cup U-20s competition now offers a pathway to
the top for them.
“You could easily get picked up. There’s
always scouts at the games,” Iwa said.
Notable NRL players who have come
through the school include Benji Marshall, Ben
Teo, Greg Eastwood, Rangi Chase and Jamahl
Lolesi.
To Koi’s major goal is to one day play for
the Kiwis and he said the key to getting there
would be commitment, family support and hard
training.
He heads to the Gold Coast just before
Christmas to acclimatize to the heat and the new
surroundings before school starts in January.
Currently he is running and swimming to be in
peak condition when he arrives.
His Aunty Bobbin Te Koi, whom he lives
Iwa Tyson Te Koi with, has already noticed a difference in attitude.
(above) is a big Brisbane “He’s just been waking up earlier than
Broncos fan, but that change normal every day. He’s just started training hard,”
soon when he takes up a she said.
scholarship at a Wests Tigers “It’s gone from Playstation and turning up to
affiliated school in Australia! training when he feels like it, to an everyday
The Year 12 student from Ngaruawahia High thing.”
School will attend Keebra Park State High School
(on Australia’s Gold Coast) for the next two years
and live the dream of every young rugby league
player intent on one day making it into the NRL.
Tw Koi, 16, has played league with the
Turangawaewae club since he was four and, this
year, a stellar season with the Waikato U-16s
resulted in him being included in the New Zealand
Maori under-16 tournament team and the NZRL
Merit 16s selection team.
The 1.91m tall, 109kg second rower has
played in numerous Waikato age-group teams and
his idol is Frank Pritchard.
Te Koi was invited by the Keebra park
School to a one-day trial in Auckland for 240
youngsters, and he was one of the two boys
selected for the scholarship. “I was pretty happy,”
Iwa said. Jordan Tukere (enrolled 2005) is also
Keebra Park School opened in 1973 and is trialing in Australia.
regarded as Queensland’s premier rugby league
