A former international rugby coach says Australian Rugby needs to do more to support future Wallabies players at the school-age level.
Auckland Rugby Academy Manager Brent Semmons, and former player with the New Zealand Maori, was in Australia to take part in a coaching camp for some of regional Queensland's best young players in Rockhampton.
He said the students have been some of the most 'coachable' he's had in his years of running clinics worldwide.
"Everything we've done is new to them, so they have not had this opportunity from other sources from within Australia," he said.
"I don't think Queensland supports these programs as well as they possibly could.
"I guess Australian Rugby have things to do around that space. We in New Zealand, I guess that's all I can talk about, we invest quite heavily into our grassroots programs."
He said more could be done to support up-and-coming talent.
"I'm not sure if it's my place to say but Australian rugby they are still a sleeping giant," he said.
"You have your GPS schools and your Catholic schools and some other state schools, and they never play each other.
"In New Zealand, we have our big private schools who will play against our south Auckland schools and they play each other every week.
"There's no separation, so you get strengths and weaknesses from both of those areas and I think it keeps New Zealand rugby strong."
Rugby Skills Academy Director One Matauiau, who was coached by Mr Semmons in his youth, hosted the four-day camp for students who had reached the representative level and beyond.
It was his relationship with Mr Semmons that was able to secure such high calibre coaches to visit regional Queensland for the first time.
'Our kids miss out'
Emerald mother Cresta Richardson described it as 'a once in a lifetime opportunity' for her son Rohan.
But she echoed Mr Semmons and said she believed the management at Rugby Australia didn't cater to young talent the way New Zealand rugby did.
"I think that has a detriment on the development of grassroots rugby, particularly in the regions," she said.
"I think our kids miss out. I know there are people who are really keen and help out where they can both within the QRU and locally but it's tough sometimes."
Auckland International Rugby Academy Head Ant Strachan, and former All Blacks player, said they constantly encouraged players to think for themselves.
"In an area up in north Queensland or central Queensland, a lot of these programs are not available readily," he said.
"An opportunity to come to a camp with a slightly different perspective — a bit of a different spin, we coach a bit differently to the Australian coaches."
He said while more can always be done to support rugby, QRU (Queensland Rugby Union) has a tough job.
"In some parts of the world, the rugby area is really small, so it's easy to resource," he said.
"In terms of outreach, it's not easy in these vast places around the world."
Mr Matauaui, who competed at the Rugby World Cup in 1999 for Samoa, Rugby Sevens and the Commonwealth Games in Sevens, said he's passionate about ensuring the growth of rugby in regional areas.
"At the top end there are so many opportunities for them but for us, we've just got to get them there and we have to fill the gap and take the lead to make sure these kids can get to the highest honour," he said.
"And not only to reach the highest honour but for them to be better as rugby players because each and every one of these kids have their own goals.
"A few of them want to play for the Wallabies, the Queensland Reds, the All Blacks."
'A good experience'
Under 15s Rockhampton player Lillian Yarrow said the camp had so far exceeded her expectations.
"We're learning about nutrition, so what we're putting into our bodies to fuel us and how that can affect our game," she said.
"It's been really beneficial because they're not just offering rugby skills but also off the field."
The determined player said she's looking to her future.
"I just hope I can get to the next level — hopefully the Reds, the Queensland training academy," she said.
Under 15s Ipswich player Braydon O'Sullivan said he hadn't had an opportunity like this before.
"Learning a lot about ball skills, defence, attacking, decision-making — it's a really good experience being here," he said.
He said learning from New Zealand players meant they were learning from the best.
"You see them on TV winning and you don't understand why and you don't understand why Wallabies can't do it," he said.
"It's really great to have them here, teaching us, so we can bring that into our own games."
