The 2009 Harlequin Awards were awarded at the Annual Dinner held at the clubhouse on 25th September, 2009.  Justin Sampson, the master of ceremonies, introduced wallaby Wycliff Palu who presented the awards to the following Harlequins.

Angus Hamilton and Jack de Guingand have both been selected for Australia A schoolboys to play New Zealand at the Southport School on Monday 5th October.  The selectors have chosen a squad of sixteen for the Australia Schoolboy side which possibly leaves room on the bench for one or two extra players to come up from the A side.

Good luck to Angus and Jack from all Harlequins and let's hope they have a great game and 'tan the hides' of the team from 'across the ditch'.

Click here to see the full team selections and other news about the Australian Schoolboys.

At the Australian Schoolboy Championships in July, 2009 three Quins were selected in the Combined States Side - Angus Hamilton, Jack de Guingand and Jack North. All three started in the Harlequin U8s and played through to the U16s.

The final game of the championships featured defending champions Queensland 1 up against surprise finalists Combined States, the best schoolboy players from Victoria, Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania, who upset tournament favourites NSW 1 in the pool stages.

After the championships Angus Hamilton was selected in the Australian Schoolboys and Jack de Guingand was selected in Australia A Schoolboys and has been appointed captain with another Victorian, Rodney Esekia, appointed vice captain.

“I feel lucky that they think I deserve the captaincy. The selectors said they have been looking at me and they like the way I talk to the boys and play on the field. I have been playing with vice captain Rodney for many years in the Victorian State team and he’s a great talker and leader. He organises the backs beautifully, so he can look after the backs whilst I look after the forwards,” De Guingand said.

This talented 17-year-old flanker was born in Tasmania but raised in Victoria and started playing Rugby at age six. He was introduced to the game by his father, who let him sit up in the early hours of the morning and watch the Wallabies play the Springboks in South Africa.

The Harlequin Annual Dinner is just a week away and we have managed to secure a great speaker from the New South Wales Waratahs. If you haven't already secured your place at the dinner please indicate that you will be coming by buying your ticket on the website.  This will not only reserve your place but Michael Haugh will be notified to make sure that he orders extra  food and booze just for you.

Our speaker is Wycliff Palu who furthered his reputation as one of Australian Rugby’s best players with a blockbuster season in 2008. The rampaging No.8 was voted by his peers as the Waratahs Players’ Player, winning the Matthew Burke Cup, while he also collected the Herald Cup and was runner up in the John Eales Medal.

Born to Tongan parents in Sydney on 17 July 1982, Palu grew up in a close knit northern beaches family that included first cousins and fellow Australian representatives Mark (Rugby) and Mo’onia Gerrard (Netball). Palu played his junior Rugby with the Narrabeen Sharks, Mona Vale Raiders and at Balgowlah Boys High School.

Palu made his state debut against Samoa in 2003 before signing to play for St George-Illawarra in the NRL. After a season with the Dragons, Palu returned to Rugby and after touring Argentina with the Waratahs made his Super Rugby debut in week one of 2005. Read more about Wycliff on the Waratah's website.

He is a very entertaining speaker and will contribute to a great night.

The 2010 Investec Super 14 will kick off next February with two Australian local derbies delivering a “Rivalry Round” for homegrown fans in week one of the hugely-popular southern hemisphere provincial series.

Traditional antagonists the Queensland Reds and NSW Waratahs will do battle in Brisbane on Saturday, 13 February. The match will be the first for Berrick Barnes in a NSW jumper and it happens to be against his native state having decided to move from the Reds to the Waratahs for next season.

In another round one showdown, the Western Force will host the Brumbies in Perth on Friday, 12 February.

Harlequin U16 Juniors defeated Eltham 22 - 12 in the 2009 Grand Final at Frog Hollow Reserve, Endeavour Hills.

Scorers were

• Tries
  
  • Jeff Bere (1)
  • Vathsala Hewavisse (1)
  • Daniel Robinson (1)
  • Yohan Gunaserkera (1)
• Conversions
  
  • Kemueli Valentini (1)

The following sample of quotes by some of our rugby greats provides an insight into the clear thinking that is part of our game.

• "Nobody in rugby should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein."
  Jono Gibbs - Chiefs
• "I'm going to graduate on time, no matter how long it takes."
  Rodney So'ialo - Hurricanes

Click the Read More button below to see more quotes...

The Harlequin Juniors, coaches and team management have done a fantastic job to get three of our junior teams (U12, U14 and U16) into the finals.  Congratulations to all players and everyone concerned. Now let’s go the next step!

The preliminary finals take place at the Griff Hunt Reserve (Melways 37 B7) according to the attached schedule. The juniors are the future of our club so let's see as many Harlequins at the match as possible to cheer them on.

Start times are:

• U12 - 9.00am
• U14 - 11.45am
• U16 - 12.50pm