Ten of the region's rugby stars are poised to pull on the NSW Country sunburnt orange and black later in the year.
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The Cockatoo senior and colts, and Corellas squads to travel to Brisbane for the Australian Rugby Shield were announced on Friday afternoon and feature a heavy northern presence.
Quirindi duo Daniel Calavassy and Hamish Dunbar, Pirates' Andrew Collins and Walcha's Henry Leslie were named in the Cockatoos senior squad, and Gunnedah's Emmy Barr and Piper Rankmore, Quirindi's Georgia Moore, Tamworth's Paige Leonard and St Albert's Tahlia (Tink) Morgan the Corellas while Armidale's Darcy Booth was selected in the Cockatoos colts.
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For all bar Collins and Morgan it will be their first time representing Country, at a senior level anyway.
"It doesn't feel real," Leonard said in a text to The Leader following the official announcement.
Speaking before last weekend's training camp in Sydney she said it was a shock just to make the training squad and that she never thought she would "go this far in rugby".
Moore was on Saturday still on cloud nine, with making the Corellas a big goal.
"As soon as I played Central North, I was like I want to make this Country team and I'm going to do everything in my power I can to make this side," she said.
For Leslie, one of his goals returning from Sydney a few years ago was to play for the Cockatoos.
"I'm pretty stoked, I've been trying to crack it for the last few years," he said after being named in the initial training squad.
Barr is the youngest of the contingent and was only recently involved in the Australian Schools Rugby Championships, playing for the Lloyd McDermott Rugby Development Team.
The squad announcement comes as a host of the region's rising stars prepare to suit up for NSW Country in their annual clash with City in Maitland on Sunday.
