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Troyden Watene-Edwards - Wavell State High School |
TROYDEN ON AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLBOYS ASSAULT
Story & Photo By : Quest Community Newspapers
A UNIQUE adventure will start for Wavell State High School student Troyden Watene-Edwards this week when he travels to New Zealand to represent the Australian Schoolboys rugby league team.
Watene-Edwards, 17, has New Zealand heritage and admitted it would be odd having so many of his family coming to support him playing in the green and gold.
``I was born here but my whole family is from there,'' the Aspley Bronco said.
``Despite that they're proud and I know my parents want me to play for Australia, not New Zealand.
``I reckon we'll go well, we've got a few big boys but the Kiwis will always be tough over there.''
The tour of New Zealand is the last step in what has been a blockbuster of a year for the highly-rated former Arana Hills junior.
Not only has Watene-Edwards been playing for his high school, he's also broken into the Queensland Cup team at Aspley and secured himself a deal with the Brisbane Broncos.
But after a short time away from the football field, he said he was itching to be part of the two-test schoolboys tour.
``It has been a tough year and I did get a few niggling injuries towards the end but I'm feeling good for the break,'' he said.
``It should be a good trip I've been looking forward to it all year, it was a goal of mine to make the team after missing out last year and it'll be good fun to play against New Zealand.''
And the action won't stop following the tour, with the Year 12 student likely to return to his school exams before heading out into the wider world.
``I've got an apprenticeship lined up with the Broncos so that should give me something else to do besides football,'' he said.
But with the new national under-20 competition to begin next year, don't be surprised if Watene-Edwards again has his non-football time limited in 2008.
The Australian Schoolboys tour of New Zealand starts with the first test in Auckland on Saturday and then the second and final test in Rotorua on October 6.