|
|||||||
Nickname | Maroons | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Governing body | Queensland Rugby League | ||||||
Head coach | Justin Hodges | ||||||
Captain | Jaydn Su'A | ||||||
Most caps | Luke Bateman (3) | ||||||
Top try-scorer | Bernard Lewis (3) | ||||||
Top point-scorer | Bernard Lewis (12) | ||||||
Home stadium | Suncorp Stadium (52,500) | ||||||
First game | |||||||
New South Wales 18–14 Queensland (Penrith Stadium, Sydney; 21 April 2012) |
The Queensland Under-20 rugby league team, also known as Queensland Under-20s or Queensland U20, represents Queensland in the sport of rugby league at an under-20 age level. Since 2012, the team has played an annual fixture against the New South Wales Under-20s team for the Darren Lockyer Shield. The team features players selected from the NRL, Holden Cup and Intrust Super Cup. They are administered by the Queensland Rugby League.
Prior to the advent of the National Youth Competition, junior interstate matches were contested at under-17 and under-19 levels. In 2008, the age levels switched to an under-16 and under-18 format but no under-20 game was held until 2012. In March 2012, the first under-20 Origin match was announced by the National Rugby League. The NRL had been looking into running the match for more than 18 months. In 2007, then-Gold Coast Titans managing director Michael Searle suggested an under-20 Origin series as a curtain raiser to the three senior State of Origin games. Former Queensland representative and current Queensland Origin coach Kevin Walters was named as inaugural coach of the Queensland under-20 team.
From 2012 to 2014, the under-20 Origin fixture was held in April, on the Representative Weekend. In 2015, the game was moved to July as a curtain-raiser to State of Origin game three.
As of 2016, the Queensland under-20 team are yet to defeat New South Wales, losing five consecutive games since 2012.
Players selected for the Queensland under-20 team are under contract with a National Rugby League (NRL) side and play in either the NRL, Holden Cup or Intrust Super Cup competitions. Since 2013, the QRL has selected a pre-season under-20 squad featuring players in contention for the mid-season fixture. The squad participates in a weekend camp at the Queensland Academy of Sport.