Pre Round 1 Colts Update
The 2023 Colts season kicks off this Saturday at Hassall Park St Ives, where Southern Districts will take on Gordon. The day starts with 3rd Colts at 10.00am kick-off. The early start is intentional to allow Colts to make it to Forshaw Rugby Park to watch 1st grade and support Colts player Jackson Ropata, who will be making his 1st-grade debut at Outside Centre.
Jackson joined the club in 2022 as a complete unknown, but through hard work and an unwavering desire to improve as a rugby player, he has made it to the senior club journey. Underpinned by an excellent club rugby program and Colts coaching group, Jackson has only gotten better, resulting in Gen Blue selection, Waratahs Development selection, Waratahs B, and Australian 20s training squad selection. Congratulations to Jackson, and we look forward to following his 2023 season with excitement and pride.
The first game against Gordon is going to be a challenging start, but it will give us an idea of where we stand at this point in the season. Colts have had an intense off-season, with three training sessions a week, extra gym sessions, and a fantastic club camp with grade at Sinclairs Accommodation Groups' rural retreat at Conjola. It was a great weekend of hard work and fun times as a club playing group, and we extend our gratitude to Lindsay and Ulla Tytherleigh for making the weekend such a success.
With two excellent trials against Manly and Two Blues under our belt, Colts Club Coach George Gargoulakis is pleased with the group's progress. He believes that the team is about six weeks ahead of schedule. Colts Lead S&C coach, Em Wilson, has pushed the group hard, and as a result, there has been a significant change in body shapes and athletic development during the preseason. We credit Em and her staff for the success of the preseason.
We would also like to extend a big thank you to the coaching group, S&C, sports science students from UOW, and management for getting Colts to this point in the season. The players are excited to play and get a good start to the season. They can't wait to get back to Fortress Forshaw and be a part of the day, watching 1st grade and cheering on Jackson Ropata.
Round 2 and 3 Colts will be at Forshaw, and these will be exciting times, especially for new Colts players having their first competition game on home turf. The field and ground look fantastic, adding extra motivation to deliver good performances in front of our fantastic supporters. Although we have Gordon up first, there is excitement about Round 2. However, we will focus on that game next week.
2023 is off to a great start!
Keith Holmes
