The Queensland Country squad and coaching staff for the 2017 National Rugby Championship has been announced. Sixteen players have been selected from Queensland Premier Rugby, with all nine clubs represented. The squad features 14 players with Super Rugby experience and 21 returning Queensland Country players from last season, with the addition of a number of new talented players including scrumhalf Tate McDermott (University of Queensland), who in just his first year out of school has already represented the Australian Men’s Sevens side. Bond University’s Tai Ford will receive his first NRC call-up at the age of 27. Three capped Test players have been named, including Wallabies allocated players Stephen Moore and Eto Nabuli, along with veteran lock Rob Simmons. Five Australian U20s representatives have also been named in the squad, including flyhalf Hamish Stewart and young lock Harry Hockings, who will join the Reds in 2018. The Country squad features 35 players in