With senior rugby taking a break, it was the Harlequins juniors and representative players who proudly carried the club colours last weekend.
At the NSW Country Championships in Tamworth, Illawarra fielded a powerful contingent of Harlequins talent across all divisions.
In the Women’s Open competition Illawarra, featuring no fewer than 18 Harlequins players, claimed the Shield title, with Central West taking the Cup.
This was a remarkable achievement for what was, in essence, a Harlequins‑led squad.
Many of the young women are now firmly on the radar for higher honours.
Their success is further testament to the outstanding work of coach JV Visesio, who has guided this young and relatively inexperienced group with great skill and belief.
In the Tier One Men’s Open competition (Caldwell Cup), Illawarra finished third overall, but the Harlequins’ influence was undeniable with seven Quins players in the squad.
Among them, Ben Fa’avae and club captain Faiva Faiva were standout performers and are expected to push strongly for NSW Country selection.
Observers noted that a few other Harlequins players may also come into contention.
The club also had three representatives in the Colts (U20s), who delivered a strong campaign to finish second in their division – another excellent result for the region.
The next representative fixtures will be the Junior State Championships in June.
Back home in the Illawarra, the junior competitions continued and the Harlequins enjoyed a weekend of exciting rugby and impressive performances.
At Campbelltown Showground on Sunday, the Harlequins Under 18s secured their third consecutive victory, defeating a strong Kiama outfit 27–15.
Scores were locked at 5–all at halftime before the Quins powered home in a hard‑fought second half.
This is a highly promising group of young men, and coach Eric Guilly has them playing confident, expansive rugby. With each round, they continue to grow and improve.
The club’s younger age groups also produced a string of strong results:
- Under 10s – Remain unbeaten after a 30–10 win over Camden
- Under 12s – A credible effort in a 12–29 loss to undefeated Camden
- Under 9s – 30–30 draw
- Under 11s – 36–7 win
- Under 13s – 24–12 win
- Under 14s – 27–26 win
- Under 16s – 24–24 draw
- Under 18s – 27–15 win
A total of three wins and two draws from Sunday’s matches at Ocean Park, Woonona capped off a highly successful weekend for the club.
ANDREW CHOICE