TOUCH football is by nature a frenetic game, but Toby Westcott says the things he’s learnt while a member of the under-17 Australian Youth Trans-Tasman squad are “next level”.
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The 17-year-old talent has been identified by Touch Football Australia as one of 40 touch football wunderkinds entrusted with ensuring the green and gold continues its recent dominance of youth trans-Tasman events when the Australian under-17 side heads to Auckland in January next year.
The official side will be named this September and, after getting a taste of the experience during a training camp in Sydney last weekend, Westcott is crossing his fingers he’ll get the chance to play in a trans-Tasman Test. in 2017.
“Some of the stuff they were teaching us was crazy and I learnt a lot of new things,” Westcott said.
“Even training up there (in Sydney) was high intensity. It was crazy. It’s something I’ haven’t experienced before.
“I’d imagine playing a Test match touch footy game would be next level.”
A natural ball-player thanks mainly to his experiences as a halfback with North Sydney and then Penrith Panthers in rugby league, Westcott caught the eye of national touch football selectors while carving up at the National Youth Championships (NYC) with Combined Catholic Colleges.
The City of Orange Touch Association Thunder gun has been named in the squad as a middle player as a result.
“I thought I played well at NYC,” Westcott added.
Some of the stuff they were teaching us was crazy.
- Toby Westcott
“Which was in Queensland last year. I thought I played well there … I must have had an alright comp.
“It’s awesome … you can’t let these opportunities slip.”
The Australian under-17 and under-19 boys’, girls’ and mixed teams will travel to Auckland in January with hopes of continuing Australia’s run of four Youth trans-Tasman events following the concept’s reintroduction in 2009.