A Deniliquin local has tasted rugby union grand final success in the 2024 Southern Inland Rugby Union under-16s boys competition.
Ryan Poka-Barlow was among the starting 15 for the Griffith Blacks Rugby Union team in the under-16s boys SIRU grand final against the Temora Huskers in Harden on September 8.
While it might not have looked like it by the end of the season, it was also Ryan’s first year of competitive rugby union.
With jersey number two, the traditional number of the hooker position, Ryan said he played much of the season at loosehead prop and wore the number two because “it was the only shirt that would fit”.
The 15 year-old Year 9 student took to the game and showed a lot of improvement.
With an unassuming demeanour off the field, Ryan showed a toughness when in the game.
With no junior rugby on offer in Deniliquin, and with the Deni Drovers sitting the season out because of a lack of players, Ryan joined the Griffith Blacks Rugby Union Club at the start of the year as a new experience.
His father John Barlow said the Griffith team looked after the Deni recruit well.
“They were all very welcoming, everyone - coaches, players, they were all very family orientated.”
It was a significant commitment however, with a lot of travel required for home and away games.
Ryan and his father John have been travelling from Deniliquin to Griffith each week for training since early April.
They would leave school and work early on Fridays to make it in time.
They also then travelled to different locations across the competition every fortnight for weekend games.
The SIRU under-16s competition included Griffith, Temora, Wagga, Albury-Tumut and Leeton.
Throughout the season, John estimated that the pair had travelled close to 19,000km to play in the competition.
Ryan was not the only junior rugby union player making the journey with family, as several under-14s also made similar journeys each week.
Fortunately for Ryan, he was rewarded for his effort with Griffith’s grand final victory.
In the fifth and final closely fought match between the two teams this season, Griffith defeated the Huskers 15 to 14.
Griffith finished second on the home and away ladder to Temora, who were undefeated in the home and away season.
The Griffith team defended their championship title and went back-to-back premiers.
Making a successful start to his Rugby career, John said Ryan would be looking to progress into the SIRU C-grade in Deni.
“If we get a team, he’ll play with Drovers in third grade; that’s probably the next step for him.”