After getting a taste of rep football as an underage player in 2023, newly appointed NSW U18s captain Marshall Le Maitre said he can’t wait to throw on a sky blue jersey and face Queensland again on Saturday.

The gun Shore No.7, who has been part of the Waratahs development system since the under 15s, played two matches for the Waratahs U18s 2nd XV late last year, but will lead the first XV on to Ballymore this Saturday in the first of two early season matches against QLD U18s.

“We were working hard over the summer but then when we found out we were playing some games against Queensland at the start of the season, everything picked up a bit,” Le Maitre told Rugby News during the week.

“Some of us started playing together in the 15s and now we’ve moved through to the 18s so it’s exciting to get this opportunity.