Titans back Coffs junior league

Celebrating 100 years of league is a good time to reflect on the importance of junior development.

Country New South Wales has a proud tradition of supplying the league with big name stars and it is vital to the future of NRL to be selecting and training the stars of tomorrow.

Tomorrow’s Centenary of League celebrations at the BCU International Stadium goes a long way towards acknowledging the contribution of regional league to the NRL. However, nurturing local talent takes time and commitment.

The Jetstar Gold Coast Titans actively promotes junior development in the Coffs Coast area through its Junior Development Program sponsored by community credit union, BCU.

Established in early 2007, the BCU Titans Junior Development Program assists the development of junior rugby league and promote teamwork and healthy lifestyles among young players. The program reaches as far south as Port Macquarie and includes over 270 children across six regions in northern NSW and south-east Queensland.

In the Coffs Coast area, there are currently 10 junior players enrolled in the program, and the Junior Development Squad is actively involved in more than a dozen junior competitions and undertakes an extensive schedule of school and club visits across northern NSW and south-east Qld.

Talented indigenous player, Shannon Walker from Kyogle provides a great example of how the BCU Titans Junior Development program assists young players from regional NSW and provides a clear pathway for talented juniors to the main league.

Last year Shannon moved to the Gold Coast to further his career and joined the BCU Titans Junior Development Program. He currently plays in the national youth league for the Titans and, only 19, he played his first game with the Titans several weeks ago after recently renewing his contract until the end of 2010.

This follows what was a spectacular year for him last year when he was named the BCU Titans Junior Development Young Player of the Year as well as being awarded the Courier Mail’s ‘2007 Best and Fairest of the Year’ and, with the Tweed Heads Seagulls, won the 2007 Queensland Cup Premiership.

For sponsors BCU, Shannon’s success shows what happens when local junior players are given the support and training they need.

Last year BCU launched its BCU Titans community saver accounts which donates money to the Junior Development Program on an annual basis and, for Jetstar Gold Coast Titans CEO, Michael Searle, these community saver accounts are a great way to support regional league at the grassroots level. They are modelled on very successful savings accounts used by English soccer clubs and BCU donates money based on the amounts held in the individual accounts.

If you want to help others like Shannon achieve their goals and support rugby league junior development in your community, contact BCU on 1300 228 228 to find out more about community saver accounts and the BCU Titans Junior Development Program.

For more information, contact:
Robin Hedditch, BCU Marketing on (02) 6650 5436