Rugby Union: Anna Bay's Hunter Mullaney-Veitch picked for Wildfires rep duties in 2021 NSW Junior State Championships

The 11 year old has been playing since he was three years old, is forever watching the game - no matter who is playing, and is aiming to get into Hunter Sports High School next year to further develop his skills and has aspirations to play professionally.

"I love everything about it," Hunter said when asked what is it he loves about rugby union. "I love playing it, running, having fun on the weekend. I wish more people played it, too, so there was more competition in the area."

Hunter, from Anna Bay, plays weekend rugby with the successful Merewether Carlton club and for St Michael's Primary School in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle system.

On top of school rugby, training and playing for Merewether Carlton, the year 6 student has added representative duties to his schedule.

This month, he was selected for the Hunter Wildfires' under-12 team in the 2021 NSW Junior State Championships.

Hunter successfully passed three trials, making the final 22 from 56 hopefuls, earlier this year and found out last week that he had made the team.

"I was pretty excited when I found out," Hunter said.

It will not be his first time playing in the state championship. He represented Sydney University in the 2019 championship.

Hunter said he was excited to play the new position of #7 - a flanker - for the Hunter representative team.

Four new positions have been introduced into the under-12 age division of the state championship, which will be staged in Camden, near Sydney, in June.

The team will play a series of games in the lead up to the mid-winter championship final.

Selection into the representative team is extra exciting for Hunter because of how much he missed playing in 2020.

COVID-19 affected the playing season, but Hunter also battled a severe case of pneumonia earlier in 2020 which limited his playing opportunities even further.

"I missed playing," Hunter said. "I'm glad it's starting to feel like normal again."

Hunter's mother, Rebecca Mullaney-Veitch, said she was proud of his selection into the Wildfires.

"It is a special achievement," she said. "Hunter has an obsession with rugby. He's always had an intense passion and focus for it.

"In 2019 when he was playing for University he would play in Newcastle on Saturday and Sydney on Sunday and he never complained about the travel. It's never been a push for him to play, that's how much he loves it."

Hunter shares his passion for rugby with his father, Rick Veitch, and older sister, Adelaide Veitch. The pair play rugby in Sydney.

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