Shelford Murray is in high demand. Photo / Supplied
Shelford Murray is in high demand. Photo / Supplied
This year can be described as one of opening doors of opportunity for 17-year-old Northlander Shelford Murray.
Identified and selected for the New Zealand Touch Blacks open men's wider training squad for 2013, Murray will participate in a high-performance training camp and trials to be held over four days atthe end of November in South Auckland.
The camp is part of New Zealand Touch's build-up and selection for teams leading into the Touch World Cup 2015.
Murray has had a busy year which has given him a high profile in rugby circles as a talent to keep an eye on. He played for the Te Rarawa seniors in the Mangonui senior club rugby championship scoring five tries in three games before the team pulled out of the competition; and was a senior and integral part of the successful Kaitaia College side that won the Northland first XV secondary schools competition, the 90 Milers that won the Northland under-19 championship, and also the Kaitaia College team that won the Maggie Dixon Northland Secondary School Sevens tournament.
Later selected to train and trial for the Blues Secondary Schools team, which led to him being the only Northland player to make the franchise team to play against the Chiefs, Murray was also recently named as a finalist in the Northland Secondary Schools and Far North District Council sports awards in the rugby category.
He impressed so much this year that he was awarded a final Year 13 full rugby scholarship to Kings College in Auckland. Kings College were semifinalists in the 1A Auckland Secondary Schools Competition and are looking towards going one better next year.
With all this on his plate, he also found time to coach the Te Rarawa Under-11s team, which won the Mangonui JMB World Cup this year.
Murray said he was looking forward to testing himself next year and added: "I know there are so many other deserving sports people here at home who have talent. I thank everyone who has supported me and helped me to achieve."
