Armidale Secondary College year 12 Student Jack McLeod has been awarded the highest honour available for Northwest School Sports Association representatives – the Northwest Blue.
Jack won the prestigious award for his selection in the NSW CHS 1st XV under 18s Rugby Union team.
For the last two years Jack represented NW at the state trials and won back-to-back medals, bronze and silver, with fellow ASC students Dallas Kelly, Cooper Collins and Henry Blackwell, coached by ASC Teacher Mr Jason Walker.
Jack played his first game of rugby as a year 7 student at ASC, the start of his growing career representing his school in league and union with distinction.
Next year, Jack will be joining Sydney First Grade Rugby Union Club, West Harbour .
NWSSA Open U/18s Rugby Union Coach and ASC TAS Teacher Jason Walker was glowing with praise for the young forward, having kept a keen eye on the player over the last few years:
“Jack played his first game of rugby at a school event, the uni rugby sevens, and has been playing junior rugby since.” said Walker.
Mcleod will be lacing up the boots for West Harbour in the Sydney 1st grade Shute Shield next season, a competition widely recognised as a holding paddock for joeys waiting to become future wallabies.
His signing on to the harbour club on a scholarship continues a trend of country kids bashing down doors: Narrabri’s Sid Harvey, currently playing for Eastern Suburbs just recently made the Australian Rugby Union sevens.
Walker says it shows the talent on offer in the country, often underestimated by city centric schools on the coast:
“Unfortunately, when people think CHS they think Newcastle, Sydney, Wollongong” says Walker.
“He’s in opposition to all the sports high schools, you know, places like Hill sports High School, West Hill sports High School who just had Jason Demetriou as their sports coordinator.”
Walker saysthe work hard, don’t complain ethic goes a long way when bush kids mix it with their city counterparts:
“You know what it’s like if you’ve grown up in Tamworth and you think about how far you have to travel – city kids go from one side of the harbour to the other and have a whinge about how far it is.”
Walker says Mcleod’s humility shone in his most recent North West outing, where he was asked to play out of position in the forwards to cover in the centres.
“He put the team first. It didn’t matter where he played, he just got it done and he was good enough to get picked anyway.”
“Jack will make it in whatever chosen sport he does, because he does because he works hard and he’s a good, coachable kid.”
Jack’s Citation
Jack is a dual medallist for the North West Rugby Team. Bronze in 2023 and Silver in 2024. His outstanding performances saw him recognised with selection in the NSW CHS 1st XV squad as a loose forward. Jack is an inspirational young man and an extremely talented and humble rugby player. His dedication and determination to achieving his best has resulted in these outstanding results. He is to be commended for being an outstanding example for all young rugby players and is a most worthy recipient of a Blue for rugby.
Don’t miss any of the important stories from around the region. Subscribe to our email list.