MONTHS of training and hard work were rewarded as the Illawarriors rugby under-12s took out the Country Championships last month.
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The Illawarriors side went into camp in chilly Armidale for the championships. For some of the boys, this was their first time away from family.
They were on the bus for their first game at 8.30am and scored a converted try on the hooter to win 21-14 over Far North Coast.
Central Coast was the next challenge, but the Illawarriors continued their dominance with a 26-14 win.
The final game of the day, against Central North, had the crowd on their toes and the latter paid heavily for a rushed and missed conversion late in the game, losing 21-19 and cementing Illawarriors at the top of their pool.
The boys turned up to a one-degree morning on Sunday for the 8.30am semi-final against Hunter. It was 7-all at half-time, so every player stepped it up to another level and the boys snuck home 21-14 with another try on the hooter.
A long, nervous wait ensued before the 12.40pm grand final against favourites Central West.
After overhearing the Central West coach tell his team that the Illawarriors had "fluked" making the grand final, the boys ran out fired up and scored from the kick-off.
By half-time it was 19-12 and injuries were starting to take their toll, but the boys dug deep to take the win 38-24.
If you are interested in helping out with season sponsorship or donations for their charity night, please contact tracy_austin@bigpond.com.