Rising star(s) of rugby align

Australian junior representative Sione Tuipulotu has been named the winner of the 2014 University of Melbourne Rugby Young Achiever Award.

The star number 12 for St Kevin’s College helped lead the team to a third consecutive Victorian Secondary Schools Rugby Union Division 1 championship, as well as being a member of the Melbourne Rebels U17 squad, the Victorian Schools U18 team and the Australian Schoolboys team that recently toured New Zealand.

Presented at the Melbourne Rebels Weary Dunlop Club luncheon, the award is open to school rugby players across the state who exemplify the attributes Sir Edward “Weary” Dunlop made famous: leadership, academic endeavour and sporting excellence. 

Now in its fourth year, the $7000 award will provide Sione with an academic scholarship, a rugby scholarship and in-kind support from the Melbourne University Sport’s Elite Athlete Program. 

Speaking at the award announcement, Sione Tuipulotu thanked his school coach for his ongoing development. “I’d especially like to thank Mr Bob Windle, my coach at St Kevin’s, for his guidance on the rugby field over these past years, and my parents for their encouragement and support.”

Jason Jones, General Manager of the Melbourne University Rugby Football Club, says the award has been a fantastic initiative not just for the university, but Victorian rugby overall. 

“It’s a great opportunity for high calibre students and rugby players to come to the uni, and it’s a program that other clubs across the country simply cannot provide. As a rugby club it’s a massive point of difference for us, even compared with Brisbane, Perth and overseas clubs.

“While we had a good number of applicants this year, we’re keen to see if we can continue to grow it further,” he says.

Jones indicated that the success of Melbourne Rising, the Rebels-led National Rugby Championship team that includes several University players and others from Victoria’s Dewar Shield, has helped give local rugby clubs even more exposure. 

“It’s showing local players that there is a legitimate pathway to the Rebels and the rest of the Super Rugby system. As a result, the standard of competition across the Dewar Shield is rapidly improving.” 

Sione Tuipulotu joins another St Kevin’s graduate, Nicholas Gillies (2013), as well as Hailebury’s Brendan Westney (2012) and Melbourne High’s Stefan Prelevic (2011) as winners of the award.

The University is the official education partner of the Melbourne Rebels.

www.youngachiever.com.au/