Central North men's co-captain Andrew Collins says it's great to see the Kookaburras have such a strong presence in the NSW Country Cockatoos training squad announced over the weekend.
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Selected from the NSW Country Championships played in Tamworth on the long weekend, the Pirates prop was one of five players named in the 36-man squad, which will assemble for a camp in Sydney on July 15.
Front row partner Henry Leslie (Walcha), back-rowers Hamish Dunbar (Quirindi) and Josh Schwager (Narrabri) and half-back Daniel Calavassy (Quirindi) also caught the eye of Country selectors making for the zone's biggest representation for some time.
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"It's good," Collins said.
"That's been our goal; to get more people there every year."
Last year he and Gunnedah second rower Tim McDermott made the initial squad. McDermott unfortunately contracted COVID just before the camp and was unable to attend but Collins went on to make the side to play in the Australian Rugby Shield in Adelaide.
That will this year be held in Brisbane from late September to early October.
He was particularly "stoked" for Leslie, who has been part of the side for the last few years.
"He deserved it, we scrummaged well all carnival, and the year before," he said.
That four of the five selected are forwards is testament to what a strength the pack was for the Kookaburras.
"The whole carnival everyone talked about our scrum and forward pack," Collins said.
"That's the first thing the coach mentioned, amazing scrum. We destroyed everyone."
The Kookaburras women's sides strong performance was also recognised at the selection table with young guns Emmy Barr, Piper Rankmore (both Gunnedah) and Georgia Moore (Quirindi), and new Narrabri recruit Efstratia 'Esta' Kalatzis, who was adjudged their best forward for the weekend, named in the Corellas squad.
New England also scored several selections with captain Blake Clout (Tamworth) making the men's squad for the first time, club-mate Paige Leonard and St Albert's Tahlia Morgan the women's squad and Tom Goddard (Armidale) and Darcy Booth (Barbarians) the colts'.
Armidale native Georgie Ball, who was part of the triumphant Hunter women's team, was also named in Corellas squad.
