Whangarei Boys' High School First XV captain Jacob Heenan has been named in the 2010 New Zealand Schools squad.
The squad was announced after the annual top-four First XV rugby tournament in Rotorua. Mount Albert Grammar won Sunday's final, beating Hamilton Boys' High 20-17.
Heenan is part of the School of Emerging
Talent and studies core subjects at WBHS. The 18-year-old is also a member of the Northland Rugby Union High Performance Development Squad and was elected on to the leadership group this season by his peers.
This year he was an integral part of the Blues team that won the national secondary schools title. Heenan can play in all three loose-forward positions.
New Zealand Schools coach Karl Jones and assistant coach Andrew Douglas have selected a 24-strong squad. It includes four returning players from the New Zealand Schools side that toured Australia last year.
Jones said selecting the squad had been tough this year due to the number of talented players in the running.
The NZ Schools team will assemble on September 22 to play Tonga Schools in Hamilton on September 27, and then Otago Under-19 in Dunedin on October 1. They will also play a one-off international against Australia Schools in Dunedin on October 6.
2010 New Zealand Schools squad: Fraser Armstrong, Adam Burn, Scott Eade, Jason Emery, Michael Fatialofa, Siulogo Fotofili, Michael Gardner, Bryn Hall, Jacob Heenan (Whangarei Boys' High School), Doug Horrocks, Milford Keresoma, Joe Latta, James Lowe, Matt McGahan, Albert Nikoro, Ope Peleseuma, TJ Perenara, Matt Proctor, Tuki Raimona, Nick Ross, Topou Sapoaga, Gafatasi Su'a, Ofa Tuungafasi, Junior Tofa Va'a.
