Cockatoos Name Experienced Squad for Opening Match
Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2025 9:11 am
NSW Country LogoThe GrainCorp NSW Country Cockatoos have named an experienced squad for their opening match of the 2014 representative season.
Fifteen players in the squad of twenty three selected to play NSW Suburban at The Haven Oval, Terrigal on Saturday, 17 May have all previously pulled on the famous Country Gold Jersey.
The retention of the fifteen players from previous years gives the Cockatoos stability and shows the identification process put in place over the last few years is bearing fruit.
A pleasing aspect of the squad for the opening match is the inclusion of several young players who have progressed from the Country Colts and Junior programs.
Among these is winger Scott Burgess who has carried on his phone number library point scoring feats in senior rugby, following his outstanding form in the junior and colts ranks. He joins former Country Colts Captain Dan Ryan in the squad who made his Cockatoos debut during the 2013 representative season.
Cockatoos Coach Shannon Fraser said “the players selected for the first match of the representative season all wanted to be in the squad, and had all worked hard during the Country Championships and at the Country Training Camp to achieve the end result”.
He went on to say “Country’s program of matches against NSW Subbies, Australian U20’s, Australian Services and Australian Barbarians would really test the players, and that Country was in a fortunate position to have a strong extended training squad ready to cover all positions in the team”.
Other than the Cockatoos mid season representative program, the players have the opportunity to showcase themselves for the new National Rugby Competition, together with vying for positions in the Country Development Team which will undertake a tour to the West Coast of the USA at the end of the year.
NSW Country Rugby Union had committed to a four year cycle of Representative Rugby, with the cycle kicking off with an international tour in 2014.
Fifteen players in the squad of twenty three selected to play NSW Suburban at The Haven Oval, Terrigal on Saturday, 17 May have all previously pulled on the famous Country Gold Jersey.
The retention of the fifteen players from previous years gives the Cockatoos stability and shows the identification process put in place over the last few years is bearing fruit.
A pleasing aspect of the squad for the opening match is the inclusion of several young players who have progressed from the Country Colts and Junior programs.
Among these is winger Scott Burgess who has carried on his phone number library point scoring feats in senior rugby, following his outstanding form in the junior and colts ranks. He joins former Country Colts Captain Dan Ryan in the squad who made his Cockatoos debut during the 2013 representative season.
Cockatoos Coach Shannon Fraser said “the players selected for the first match of the representative season all wanted to be in the squad, and had all worked hard during the Country Championships and at the Country Training Camp to achieve the end result”.
He went on to say “Country’s program of matches against NSW Subbies, Australian U20’s, Australian Services and Australian Barbarians would really test the players, and that Country was in a fortunate position to have a strong extended training squad ready to cover all positions in the team”.
Other than the Cockatoos mid season representative program, the players have the opportunity to showcase themselves for the new National Rugby Competition, together with vying for positions in the Country Development Team which will undertake a tour to the West Coast of the USA at the end of the year.
NSW Country Rugby Union had committed to a four year cycle of Representative Rugby, with the cycle kicking off with an international tour in 2014.