Endeavour Hills Rugby Union Club Under-18 star Siliva Siliva will play for Australia A against Fiji in Sydney on 6 September.By Marc McGowan
HAMPTON Park young gun Siliva Siliva may be quietly spoken off the field, but there is little chance of overlooking him once a rugby ball is put in his hands.
The 17-year-old front rower last month joined a long line of Endeavour Hills Rugby Union Club players to be selected for Australia.
Wallaby winger Digby Ioane heads the list, which includes Super 14 star Tamati Horua, David Muliaga, Iveni Tuitupou, Ole Avei and Chris Kennedy.
Siliva represented the Combined States squad and Victoria in Division One and Two respectively of the Australian Schools Championships in two tournaments over the past month.
The year 12 Narre Warren South College student was then named in the Australia A side following his impressive performances in the Division One event.
The highlight for Siliva, who captained the Victorian under-16 team at the national championships last year, was his first-half try in the Combined States’ shock 10-7 triumph over highly fancied New South Wales.
Australia A plays Fiji in Sydney on 6 September and another quality display in that match could see Siliva barge his way into the Australian Schoolboys’ team for its clash with the Fijian under-18s in Brisbane a week later.
“When I played I thought I’d get in – it was a big goal,” he said.
“It feels good being the only Victorian named in the team.”
Endeavour Hills president Ashley White has watched Siliva develop at the club for a decade and is full of praise for the teenager.
“He’s been an outstanding player for a fair while, particularly the last two years, and has really shone this year and been recognised, which is good,” White said.
“He’s such a nice kid, is well-balanced, has the right attitude and does all the right things.
“What’s good about his success is that there’s no greed in the way he plays at all – he’s an outstanding team-focused player.”
Siliva is well-aware of the disadvantage of playing in a rugby minnow state, but the feats of his Endeavour Hills predecessors have inspired him to aim high.
“I’ve met Digby and it feels good knowing he came from our club and seeing what he’s done,” he said.
“He’s probably one of my idols. Victoria is more about Aussie Rules, but others have done it and so have I.”
Australian and former ACT Brumbies hooker Jeremy Paul is Siliva’s favourite player and he supports the Brumbies.
The next big goal for him is to earn a Brumbies contract, but he would be satisfied playing for any Super 14 club.
“I’d love to get signed with someone,” he said.
“Clubs approach you if they’re interested and I’m not expecting it, but it would be good.”
Siliva has returned successfully to Endeavour Hills’ under-18 line-up, which won its quarter-final match-up with Melton on the weekend, following the hype of the Australian Schools Championships.
“It’s pretty hard because I’ve come back from playing a higher standard,” he said.
“I enjoyed the faster rugby – it was good, tough competition.”
