Rod Seib is preaching a simple message to every ACT Brumbies hopeful this summer: "opportunity can knock at any time". The assistant coach points to Corey Toole as proof after the Gungahlin Eagles flyer emerged as a breakout star on the world sevens circuit before returning to Canberra to re-join the Brumbies during their Super Rugby Pacific pre-season. Toole is part of the Brumbies' elite development squad aimed at bringing some of the region's brightest talents into the Super Rugby pathway. The John I Dent Cup's leading try-scorer crossed 10 tries across two sevens tournaments for Australia in Dubai. He has been on the Brumbies' radar for good reason, and Seib hopes his success can light a fire within fellow prospects chasing a rugby dream. "You could be thinking it's a long way off but all of a sudden you get the tap on the door," Seib said. MORE RUGBY UNION "A good example of that is a guy who has been at the Brumbies in the academy program, Corey Toole. He's been over representing the Australian sevens in Dubai, he's the leading try scorer there. "It goes to show at any time, you might get the tap on the shoulder and off you go. If you're ready to take that opportunity, then you can make the most of it. "It's been fantastic. We've showed some clips of what he has been doing over in Dubai in a team meeting recently. The boys are well in tune of where he's at and what he has done. "I know he will be relishing that opportunity. He's sort of that quieter bloke who is not going to stand up and ask to be centre stage, but he has certainly put himself centre stage over in Dubai." A raft of EDS members will continue to train with the Brumbies' top squad in the new year. Among them are former Eastwood back-rower Charlie Cale, who joins Uni-Norths in the John I Dent Cup. Also continuing in January are highly-regarded loosehead prop Harry Vella [Canberra Royals], back-rower Titi Nofoagatatoa [Tuggeranong Vikings] and outside back Nathan Carroll [Queanbeyan Whites]. Academy products Remsy Lemisio, Zane Marolt and Pat Maka have trained with the Brumbies during the pre-Christmas period, as have ACT club rugby stars Uni-Norths lock Will Sankey, Wests fullback Declan Meredith, Whites centre Jacob Church and Owls winger Siave Seti. Marist graduate Matias Jensen has also joined the group after completing his school studies, headlining a list of young talent to get a taste of a Super Rugby environment. St. Edmunds College student Shane Wilcox, scrumhalf Klayton Thorn, playmaker Syris Schmidt and tighthead prop Massimo De Lutiis are also involved in the extended squad. Thorn, Schmidt and De Lutiis will join the Brumbies Academy in the new year and will represent the club at under 19 level while studying at the University of Canberra. "Our pre-season program is a great opportunity for our pathways players to train alongside our Brumbies players to aid their development in addition to their Academy program heading into 2022," Brumbies rugby and pathways manager Chris Tindall said. "We have seen the benefits of this preseason block over the past few seasons, with guys getting a chance to train in our Super Rugby environment, and how that helps accelerate their development on and off the field, and their transition into the full-time squad if and when they earn that spot. "This pre-season block provides a first experience of professionalism and the level required at Super Rugby and whether they join us during the season, in 2023 or if they take their learnings back to club rugby, the value is there for us in their progression and as a connection piece to our local community. "It's particularly important we are giving players in our John I Dent Cup and our schools system an opportunity to become a Super Rugby player with the Brumbies." Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
