As Australia U20 went head-to-head with the Junior Springboks to victory Tuesday night in South Africa, Newington was once again well represented on the field.

You know you are doing something right as a proud Rugby school when the Captain of Rugby 2024 not only plays for Australia but is also back at College when he’s not, coaching the U13s. 

Luca Cleverley, in his first year out of Newington, ran out for Australia U20 in the second match of the tournament at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha, Eastern Province earlier this week. Beating the Baby Boks 29-24, Luca was accompanied by a stellar lineup of future Wallabies promise including fellow Old Newingtonians Lipina Ata (ON 2023), a Newington lifer and Jacob Veiru (ON 2023) who was rested after the team’s first round tournament clash against New Zealand recently. See all three players above in Newington’s 2023 1^st XV (Lipina second from left; Luca fifth from left and Jacob seventh from right. Matteo Cleverley is also pictured here sixth from right).

The Old Newingtonians are part of the 23 player U20 squad and are each pressing their claim for selection in the team that will ultimately battle for Australia in the U20 Rugby Championship in June in Italy.  

Luca, who plays loose forward on the field, has been warmly welcomed back into the Newington rugby family as if he never left, says Mr Ben Herring, Director of Rugby. 

‘Luca was eager to come back and coach at school to give back after the great time he had at Newington,’ says Mr Herring. 

‘He is currently coaching in the U13 age group with his brother Matteo, who was Captain of Rugby in 2023. It’s so awesome to see our Captains of Rugby returning and passing on their learnings and experience to our newest players.’ 

Alongside Luca, Jacob Veiru and Lipina Ata in the Australia U20 team currently playing in South Africa, is second rower Joe Mangelsdorf, who also recently joined the Newington staff to coach Wyvern Prep rugby. Joe attended St Joseph’s College and is currently studying and playing rugby for Sydney University. 

Says Mr Herring, ‘we are excited to see Old Newingtonians Luca, Jacob and Lipina play for Australia in this tournament and are lucky to have such passionate rugby experts passing on their experience to our youngest Newington cohort. 

‘Likewise, Joe Mangelsdorf is a standout rugby talent, and like Luca, Jacob and Lipina a great role model for our current rugby playing students. Hopefully, these U20 players will all go on to represent Australia as Wallabies in the not so distant future.’ 

The Newington rugby season will officially kick off tomorrow at the eagerly anticipated 2025 Rugby Season Launch. Newington is at home this weekend against Cranbrook in the second of two trial matches and teams play their first GPS games against Saint Ignatius’ College at home on Saturday 17 May.  

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