Rugby: Australia embarks on pathway that borrows an idea from New Zealand

RUGBY Australia has announced changes to their junior structures that all-but mirror the way New Zealand go about business with their post-school talent. Photo / Photosport

Iain Payten for The Daily Telegraph

If you can't beat them, join them. Or at least mirror them.

That's the new strategy to ensure the best of Australia's young players are retained in rugby, win an under 20s World Cup and then take that attitude into senior Super Rugby ranks.

Who's them? New Zealand, naturally.

Ahead of a clash between the Junior Wallabies (Australian under 20s) and New Zealand under 20s on the Gold Coast on Saturday night, Rugby Australia this week announced changes to their junior structures that all-but mirror the way the Kiwis go about business with their post-school talent.

Like most levels, the Kiwis are dominant at that age-group and have won six of the ten under 20 World Championships since 2008. Australia's best result is second, in 2011. Since then they've failed to finish in the top three.

Last year Simon Cron's side fell by a point to England in the pool stages, contentiously. But the team had only had a few weeks to prepare after the Super 20s program finished.

In past years it was a similar lead-in after a late under 20s championship.

The Super 20s competition has now been canned and, like the Kiwis, Australia will now play an under 19s championship in September. From that a wide squad of talent who will train in state academies, play club rugby and after a series of camps and tournaments, have around 11 weeks preparation together come the under 20s World Championship the following June.

The under 19s champs, that will include teams from WA, Victoria, ACT, city and country teams from NSW and Queensland, and a Barbarians team, will also be a tool for Aussie rugby recruiters to keep the best schoolboys in the game — some of whom are lost to league at that age.

Along with restored RA high performance funding for the age bracket (to help cash-strapped states stay in the fight), top teenage talent can now be offered a representative program straight out of school that leads to the under 20s — and going by the stats — a Super Rugby future.

But playing for the Junior Wallabies isn't enough. Winning as one is required if Australia's best youngsters are going to mature into winning senior players too.

"Obviously the (under 20s World Championships) results have frustrated everyone the last few years, We want to do well in it but we also want to produce Super Rugby guys who are winning. At the moment the conversion rate from 20s to Super Rugby is excellent, it's over 90 per cent. Super teams are very young obviously," said RA's head of pathways Adrian Thompson.

"But we want to ensure that winning experience at the World Cup and have guys coming out of 20s with that mindset.

We've been very close a couple of times, losing to England by a point and New Zealand by a couple. It means you end up running fifth instead of winning the thing.

"Getting that success at 20s level and schoolboys level, it all contributes as you get older.

"I am pretty excited. The group that beat New Zealand at this tournament two years ago, I think you'll start to see some success as they go through."