Palmerston Rugby Union Club fields teams in all junior age groups. From Under 5 to Under 11 teams are mixed, we then have boys and girls teams from Under 13 to Under 17 (subject to player numbers). Age groups are determined by year of birth of the player as established by NT Rugby Union (NTRU). We play against junior teams fielded by the other rugby clubs in the Darwin competition.
We provide all our junior players with the opportunity to experience rugby in a friendly and supportive environment. We value fair play and ensure that all our young players, regardless of ability, are given an equal go on game day. Good sportsmanship, skill development and player enjoyment are paramount.
All our team officials are volunteers who generously give up their time to ensure our youngest members can enjoy the sport of rugby union. All team officials have an Ochre Card and it is minimum requirement of our junior coaches that they have their SmartRugby safety qualification. A number of coaches have further Rugby Australia coaching and refereeing qualifications.
Our club actively encourages and supports our players and officials to compete at the highest levels and we strive to provide pathways to achieve these goals. Over the years we have had significant numbers of junior players selected in NT representative sides.
The club actively supports its representative players by facilitating a fundraising opportunity for players selected each year. Players are encouraged to participate in these opportunities to raise funds for their trips away.
We are also very proud of one of our former junior players who has gone on to international success: former Chiefs and All Black half back Tawera ‘Narada’ Kerr-Barlow played for Palmerston Rugby Union Club as a Junior player. After retiring from the All Blacks, Tawera went to France to play for La Rochelle.
John Grenfell
Another former junior player has gone on to achieve international success and we could not be prouder of his accomplishments. John Grenfell was part of our 2018 and 2019 juniors when one of his coaches was dad, Jerome. In 2024 John was selected in the Australian Under 18 team and we look forward to seeing where John’s future takes him.